July 1 is always a crazy day in the NHL with free agency opening. The Boston Bruins are officially on the board in free agency, signing Morgan Geekie to a two-year contract. Elliotte Friedman was first on the news.
Morgan Geekie to BOS...2x$2M
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2023
As Friedman reported, the contract is for $2 million annually over two years. Geekie is set to turn 25 years old at the end of the month and is a center who can also play on the right side. With the futures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci uncertain, getting younger down the middle doesn’t hurt.
Geekie was originally chosen in the third round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He debuted in 2019-2020 with the Hurricanes and was left exposed in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, with the Kraken choosing to select him.
Morgan Geekie is a great addition to the Boston Bruins
The Bruins will now be Geekie’s third franchise as he enters his fourth full season. He only produced 13 points in a Hurricanes uniform, but he began to steadily improve once landing with the Kraken.
Morgan Geekie, signed 2x$2M by BOS, is an play-making forechecking depth forward. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/aQbUYfGH6D
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2023
Geekie scored seven goals and added 15 assists for 22 points in his first season in Seattle, posting a -16 rating in 73 games, setting a best in points. He beat that total for a new career high last season, scoring nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points, career highs in all three categories. In a heel turn, he had a +24 rating in 69 games, averaging 10:27 of ice time.
Over his entire NHL career, Geekie has 63 points, divided between 22 goals and 41 assists. He’s averaged 11:13 of ice time over 180 regular season games. He has two goals and three assists in 24 playoff games, including 13 with the Kraken last season.
To summarize, the addition of Geekie is a positive one for the Bruins. With a lot of turnover expected among the forwards and the center depth in question as it relates to Bergeron and Krejci, it’s a good idea to load up the depth down the middle and on the right wing.
The contract for Geekie is also cheap, which is good given the tight cap situation the Bruins have. Welcome to Boston, Morgan!