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Bruins reportedly close to extending another key player

By Matt Hawkins

May 17, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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A few days before the NHL roster freeze began, the Boston Bruins made their first big signing of the offseason, extending restricted free agent (RFA) defenseman Brandon Carlo to a six-year deal worth $24.6 million.

Well, it doesn’t look like Carlo will be the only key B’s skater to extend their stay in Boston as the Black and Gold and trade deadline acquisition Taylor Hall reportedly have a deal in place. There have been several rumors that the two parties have been nearing a deal, but it now looks like a deal is set.

This doesn’t come as a surprise as both sides have shown mutual interest in a contract extension as Hall has expressed his love for Boston and the fact that he fits nicely with the team and system they play.

The deal is reported to be four years long and worth around $24 million, or $6 million per year. If this is true this would be a great deal for Boston as the deal isn’t too long and they lock up Hall for less than or around what Brad Marchand is making. Frank Seravalli of DFO Hockey is the one who first reported this and also thinks the deal could be signed as soon as the roster freeze ends on Thursday at 1 P.M.

What’s next for the Bruins after extending Taylor Hall?

If the B’s are in fact extending Hall as soon as tomorrow afternoon, they can move on to focusing on other unrestricted free agents (UFA) and filling holes created by the losing defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.

Veteran center and Hall’s linemate, David Krejci, is also a UFA. As of right now, there haven’t been rumblings about discussions between the B’s and Krejci, but many Boston reporters have referred to Hall and Krejci as a packaged deal. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get word that Krejci and the B’s were working on a deal after the Hall deal is made official.

With Lauzon reportedly off to Seattle, the B’s can also put some more focus on bringing in another left-shot defenseman as they now only have three on the NHL roster. Hopefully this defenseman plays the same style as Lauzon as the Black and Gold now don’t have any blueliner that plays a physical, shutdown style of defense.

Additionally, Boston can get to work on a new deal for goaltender Tuukka Rask. Rask is expected to miss half of the 2021-22 season due to hip surgery, but he should still be brought back because when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best.

Along with Rask, the B’s should look into bringing in another veteran netminder to pair with either Jeremy Swayman or Dan Vladar until Rask returns. They could run with Swayman and Vladar until Rask returns, but this would be extremely risky if they are trying to win the Cup next season.

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Overall, it looks like the Hall signing will be the beginning of several moves the B’s need to make to build a contender for 2021-22. The expansion draft has put a halt on re-signing players, but with the roster freeze over tomorrow, we could see more than just the Bruins re-signing big names within the next 24 to 48 hours.

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