The Boston Bruins have officially made their first off-season move. The team has signed Jesper Frödén to a one-year, $842,500 contract. Frödén may not be the player fans have been dreaming about, but he is still a rather intriguing acquisition.
The right-winger has spent the last two seasons playing for Skellefteå AIK of the SHL. Since debuting in that league, he has been quite productive, to say the least. During the 2019-20 season, he was named Rookie of the Year, after scoring 12 goals and 29 points in 49 games. This season was even better for him, as he scored an impressive 22 goals and 40 points in 52 games.
At 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, he may not be the most imposing player in stature. However, he has been praised by Don Sweeney for his strong two-way play. That is something that is never a bad thing to add. The real fun will be seeing how it translates to the NHL level.
This has all the makings of a good depth signing for the Bruins.
This postseason showed that the Bruins are in need of more forward depth. When it comes to their healthy scratches and AHL forwards, they are just far too weak. None really were able to be a factor even when called up during the regular season, too. Thus, the Frödén signing is a clear indication that the team is trying to change this.
Now, that does not mean that Frödén is a lock to make the team. In fact, he could very well spend the entirety of next season with the Providence Bruins. The big league club has a lot more time to construct next season’s roster, so their forward group could go through a serious overhaul.
Even with all of this being so, this should be a signing that fans are content with. Frödén appears to have the ability to register some offense, and they need that from their depth guys. Perhaps he could even beat out a guy like Karson Kuhlman on the NHL roster next season. Time will tell.