Boston Bruins Re-Sign Colin Miller and Joe Morrow to Contracts
The Boston Bruins re-signed a pair of restricted free agent defensemen on Wednesday. 23-year-olds Colin Miller and Joe Morrow were extended to two-year, and one-year deals respectively to help round-out the Bruins blueline..
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Colin Miller‘s deal is comes in at $1 million per season for the next two seasons and is one-way. The deal is a good one for both Miller and the Bruins as it will give the team more time to evaluate where Miller fits within the team. With top-4 potential, and the potential to be a top-2 defenseman on a seriously-lacking Bruins blueline, Miller has the ability to impress this season, and gain serious leverage in contract negotiations throughout the 2017-18 season.
The deal is low-risk for both parties as Miller has excelled at the AHL level but hasn’t proven anything at the NHL level yet in his limited experience.
Joe Morrow’s contract is also a one-way deal worth $800,000 for the 2016-17 season. Morrow showed significant growth last season as a two-way defenseman with mobile abilities. The Bruins are in need of blueline help, but Morrow, a former-first round draft pick, could potentially help fill that need if given the continued opportunity to grow. There aren’t many better options within the Bruins organization who could immediately step in and help the team, and general manager Don Sweeney has stated on multiple occasions that his team will need to utilize some of their younger defensemen in more effective ways.
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Per General Fanager, with both Miller and Morrow signed, the Bruins have an estimated $6.73 million in cap space with a roster of 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders. The Bruins still lack a legitimate top-2 option, but with nearly $7 million in cap space, and a surplus of prospects in their system, the Bruins could still make a splash this off-season if the right opportunity presents itself.