The Boston Bruins might well have missed a trick by choosing not to snap up veteran center, Brian Boyle from free agency.
Given he was born in Massachusetts, you’d have to imagine he would’ve had no issues signing the same cut-price $940,000 deal with the Boston Bruins that he just did with the Florida Panthers. Despite rumors in the summer that we were talking to Brian Boyle‘s agent, nothing seems to have eventuated.
Now, I know it’s not ideal to covet veteran centers or veterans in general, especially given sometimes it backfires and you end up with immovable contracts such as the ones that David Backes signed.
However, we’re talking a guy that could add yet more leadership to a room that already has it in spades and a player that is often highly sought after as a rental for the play-offs.
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He has the experience and remains skilled enough to slot in up and down the line-up. He can kill penalties for you, can still score and provides a stabilising figure to build a line around. Looking at the Boston Bruins’ current injury predicament, with Par Lindholm and David Krejci seemingly out, he would’ve been the ideal person to have in reserve.
Now, we shouldn’t go signing sweetheart deals just because a player has never won a Stanley Cup and definitely not just because the Boston Bruins represent his home state, but just look at the way Flordia Panthers General Manager, Dale Tallon speaks of him:
”With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club, he adds versatility and character to our lineup.”
Such words obviously come from a guy that has just signed him to his team, but also speak volumes of the player and what he could’ve brought to the Boston Bruins. To add a player with that much play-off experience and indeed one that still netted 18 goals last year, on such a cheap deal, would’ve been an absolute steal.
Not least because offering just one year of term would’ve made it almost risk-free and would’ve removed any need for a settling-in period at the trade deadline that most rental players have to handle.
Frankly, while it’s not the most backwards-thinking of moves not to pursue him, you could also argue that it’s not the most forward-thinking either. Brian Boyle would’ve been a very worthy addition, as a player, as a leader and as the perfect option to allow guys like Jack Studnicka not to be thrown into the cauldron before they’re ready, should our injury worries continue.
A mistake; maybe. Time will tell – you never know, Brian Boyle could turn out to be a flop in Florida. If that’s the case, it’s actually a lucky escape for the Boston Bruins!