Boston Bruins: What does the Steven Kampfer signing mean?

The Boston Bruins have taken their first step of the 2019 off-season with the Steven Kampfer signing. With the salary cap space situation being more than tight for the Bruins, what does it mean to sign a depth defenseman?

Of all outhe Boston Bruins players up for renewal, you’d probably expect the Bruins to sign Steven Kampfer.

What does the Steven Kampfer signing mean for the Boston Bruins? As of now, the Bruins would have a full 23-man roster to begin the regular season. The Bruins commence their regular season on October 2nd in Texas against the Dallas Stars.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer to a two-year deal worth $800,000 per season. There is a report that four other teams were interested in picking up Kampfer in the free agency. The Bruins probably won those ‘sweepstakes’  offering the veteran blueliner an extra year.

In the past season, Steven Kampfer skated in 35 games collecting three goals and three assists for the Boston Bruins. He proved to be very reliable at times, mostly at the end of the regular season, especially after his long spell at the press box. In the playoffs, Kampfer dressed for three games, scoring one goal.

More from Free Agency

• Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
• The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
• Boston Bruins add veteran middle six depth in James van Riemsdyk
• Bruins reinforce defense with Kevin Shattenkirk signing
• Boston Bruins sign Morgan Geekie to shore up center depth

With Charlie McAvoy suspended after his hit on Josh Anderson from Game 6 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 30-year-old Kampfer suited up for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the Carolina Hurricanes and snapped one goal in. Let’s call that his highlight of the past season.

Steven Kampfer has proved to be a very good depth option. But now a question remains. If the Boston Bruins maintain the same 23-man roster re-upping players like Danton Heinen, McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo; they would be over the salary cap limit by at least one million. There is a sense that something has got to give.

The Boston Bruins can create some salary cap space relief by putting John Moore on the long-term injured reserve. But that would be only a short-term solution, as John Moore should be back after his shoulder surgery before Christmas. The Bruins would need to make more additional moves.

One would believe that the Bruins will trade Kevan Miller. The 31-year-old veteran is one year left from being an unrestricted free agent with the salary cap hit of $2,500,000. The Bruins will be forced to not re-sign him next summer perhaps. If that’s the case, the Bruins will have to repeat the Adam McQuaid’s trade from last September. A beloved player and a teammate, who is already 30 and with one year left on his contract. Tough decision to be made for sure. But a necessary one

But trading Miller would help the Bruins a lot now and would also be the most logical solution of the Bruins potential salary cap issues. With Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy being the Bruins top-two right-handed defensemen and with the emergence of Connor Clifton, it would be foolish to think that the Steven Kampfer signing, another right-handed defenseman, means Kevan Miller is staying as well.

Even if the Bruins decided to make other roster moves to somehow not trade Kevan Miller, they should have their mind made on signing Miller to an extension next summer plus playing him regularly next year. This cannot be unmanageable, but it’s indeed highly improbable.

Let’s see what the best General Manager of the past season has in his sleeve.