Free agency begins in six days on July 1, and for the Boston Bruins, there are several needs that general manager Don Sweeney has. He could use a center, a wing, and even a defenseman. Yes, that's a long list of needs for a team that is looking to retool on the fly.
The need on defense is there despite it looking like they might be all set. They need to replace Brandon Carlo after he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, and they finished the last six weeks of the season with Henri Jokiharju after he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres and Parker Wortherspoon. Also lost for the season was Charlie McAvoy. An addition on the right side makes total sense as there are no prospects right-shots in the minors. Shocking, I know.
Bruins linked to former defenseman Ryan Lindgren
One name that the Black and Gold have been linked to with free agency around the corner is a former Boston defenseman, Ryan Lindgren. Sweeney selected Lindgren in the second round of the 2016 Entry Draft. He never played a game in the NHL with the Bruins as he was traded to the New York Rangers in February 2018 along with Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, and two draft picks, Boston's first-round pick in 2018 and a seventh-round pick in 2019, for Rick Nash.
Lindgren became a staple on the Rangers' defense for five-plus years before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline this past March. An unrestricted free agent, Boston being linked to him isn't surprising, but how would the fit work?
On the left side, the Bruins have Hampus Lindholm expected to return from an injury last November, and Nikita Zadorov is entering his second year in Boston after signing as a free agent last summer. On Monday, Sweeney extended Mason Lohrei for two years with an AAV of $3.2 million. If we're being honest, this is interesting about how a reunion would work.
Would they ask a left shot to go to the right side? Unlikely. Would they consider a position change for Lohrei to forward, as some have suggested on social media? No. Could there be a trade? That opens up a spot on the left side on the way? Who knows, but Lindgren, if signed by Boston, would be a tough addition to the back end. It would be just a matter of the fit for the roster.