3. The Boston Bruins should consider signing forward Conor Sheary.
Conor Sheary, a Massachusetts native and UMass Amherst alum, is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion that has hit free agency following tenures with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres.
Obviously, the storyline of bringing a Massachusetts native in to play for the hometown team is great to see, but with Sheary they’ll get more than just the sentimental story.
Sheary scored a career-high 23 goals and 53 points in his breakout 2016-17 season, while additionally contributing seven points in the postseason en route to his first of two Stanley Cup Championships.
His best production so far has come from playing on the same line as the ultimate play-making center, Sidney Crosby.
While players of Crosby’s caliber are hard to match, the Bruins can provide the ability to play with a second-tier playmaking center in the form of David Krejci or Charlie Coyle, which theoretically is an environment Sheary could thrive in.
The true question is whether playing for his hometown team is enough to overcome an offer to continue playing with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh.