The Boston Bruins are counting down the hours until they take the stage for their first-round draft pick. Behind the scenes, the Jacobs organization is already reflecting upon the opportunity to dismiss some players we've watched last season. By doing so, this would free up some cap space, allowing the opportunity for a younger, stronger, and faster team going into the 2025-2026 season.
With Mason Lohrei already signing a 2-year extension, the wheels are in motion to update the upcoming roster. In order to move forward, some players need to be left behind. So, which 3 players can they stand to reassign to another team? Let's discuss.
1. Joonas Korpisalo
Last season, Korpisalo had 3 shutouts for the black and gold, with a 2.90 goals against average, with an 11-10-3 record. In comparison, Jeremy Swayman's record only reflected a 3.11 GAA; however, Sway racked up more games being the #1 goaltender. Perhaps it was this statistic that encouraged Korpi to relay to his agent that he was interested in scoring more time on the ice, clearly unhappy with the number of games he was able to play.
According to Korpisalo's agent, Markus Lehto, if the former Ottawa Senators goalie doesn't plan on getting more starts next season, then he would welcome a trade out of Boston. Both goalies cannot tend the net for the number of games they are wanting, which opens Korpi up to fulfilling his trade options. With an average annual value of $4 million, trading Korpi would save the cap difference in advancing Providence's much cheaper Brandon Bussi or Michael DiPietro to be a backup netminder. Either Bussi or DiPietro would be a welcome addition, as they both have made multiple cameos for the Boston Bruins.
2. John Beecher
This New York native has done well playing Center for the team. As difficult as it is to include him in this list, the stats speak for themselves. Unfortunately, last season, Beecher was the lowest Center on the team in game points, above some of our Providence players. Agility and speed are valued traits this team needs, and he has them. Beecher soon became a fan favorite after joining, yet while Beecher was responsible for 78 game points, he also only scored 3 goals with 8 assists.
This upcoming season, the team really needs to focus on a couple of problem areas, and a strong center is one of their number one needs. Allowing Beecher the opportunity to be enjoyed elsewhere would easily open a spot for a slightly stronger Center going forward.
3. Hampus Lindholm
Lindholm for the upset. This veteran favorite was noticeably absent over the past season. While Hampus was physically present on the ice initially, he suffered a knee injury on November 12th, which took him out for the remainder of the season. The fans love to watch this man play, but now he is 31 and returning from a season-ending injury.
This organization is a business, and management needs to continually focus on the future of this team getting stronger as they go forward. The 2024-25 season brought Hampy 3 goals, 4 assists, prior to his abrupt departure. The potential for younger, faster, and healthier players is in the teams' best interest, in spite of Hampus' stellar career with the Bruins.
The devastation was palpable when the Bruins missed the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 8 years. This team's rare omission was a definite wake-up call. With their Captain's questionable return, coaching changes, and two key players missing all season, the Bruins have nowhere to go but up. Who will take the ice at the home opener? Stay tuned, Spoked-B Nation!