Boston Bruins: Added goaltending depth acquired with Maxime Lagace

The Boston Bruins have shored up their organisational goaltending depth, picking up Maxime Lagace, whose deal with the Vegas Golden Knights had expired.

Maxime Lagace signs a one-year deal worth $700,000 with the Boston Bruins. He is unlikely to be appearing in Boston Bruins colours this season, but rather you’d expect him suiting up for their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Not exactly a huge splash on free agency day, but then again, we didn’t expect big Boston deals.

Quebec-born Maxime Lagace looks like he’ll be more than able to get the job done in Providence; his most recent season with the Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, saw him post a 2.43 goals against average and 0.914 save percentage, before unfortunately falling apart in 3 play-off games.

Zane McIntrye, the Providence Bruins number one last season, by comparison posted 2.59 goals against and an 0.898 save percentage across 46 games. You’d now have to imagine he finds himself in similar shoes to Jaroslav Halak on the main Boston Bruins roster, if McIntyre’s contract is renewed that is.

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Either way, you’d make safe assumptions the signing of Maxime Lagace isn’t one that’ll set the Boston Bruins’ fanbases world on fire. In fact, it’ll barely rate a mention, aside from maybe the obvious pointing out that he’s from Quebec. For the Providence Bruins though, it likely represents a shift; either to a time-share in the crease or to the moving out of McIntyre.

As a deal, you’d say it’s a relative no-brainer; an experienced AHL performer coming off a stronger season than your equivalent in the same position. Why wouldn’t you seek to upgrade, especially when the cost is a one-year, $700,000 deal – hardly breaking the bank.

The only concern whatsoever is that Maxime Lagace now becomes the Boston Bruins’ third-choice netminder, but does so with an ugly 17 NHL appearances, tallying close to a 4.00 goals against average. Definitely the numbers of a guy that has hit his ceiling in the American Hockey League and should only be called upon in an emergency.

Should Tuukka Rask or Jaroslav Halak go down with injury at any point this coming season, you’d have to feel a tiny bit apprehensive about having Lagace on the bench.