One thing is clear when it comes to the Boston Bruins on July 20, their roster should be considered far from a finished product. If it is, then they are not going to be a team that will be in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additions are still needed.
There is still a need for a top center as Elias Lindholm is not the answer now and won't be the answer in the future. Boston is missing the No. 1 center that they lost in Patrice Bergeron when he retired following the 2023 season. There is one player that could be available and a prime candidate for an offer sheet if general manager Don Sweeney wants to get creative before training camp begins in September.
The Bruins are one of four teams linked to Ducks' Mason McTavish as an offer sheet candidate
Sweeney didn't break the bank with many free agent signings, unless to consider Tanner Jeannot a bank breaker, and he doesn't have much cap space remaining, just over $2 million according to PuckPedia. However, Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish is a player that a lot teams would covet and the Bruins are one of four teams linked to him as a potetnial offer sheet candidate.
Shyana Goldman of The Athletic listed four teams that could be candidates to offer McTavish an offer sheet: the Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Calgary Flames.
Things get sticky, however, when it comes to money and compensation going back to Anaheim if the Ducks don't match an offer sheet. anything that comes in at $7.02 million would require that team send a first and third round pick in the 2026 Entry Draft back to Southern California should Pat Verbeek not decide to match. Anything over that would require a first, second, and third round pick heading out West.
That is a whole lot of draft capital heading the other way for a player, but if you're the Bruins, it feels like it is time to strike it big and take a chance on McTavish. Boston owns a pair of first-round picks next season, their's and the Toronto Maple Leafs, which makes it easier to part ways with one, and they have a second and third round as well of their own. They have the capital.
Boston doesn't have the cap space right now to take on a big contract, however, a move could be made to free up cap space. Pavel Zacha is someone who has been rumored to be shopped around by the Black and Gold. This feels like a time for Sweeney to strike and take a chance with an offer sheet to lock up a top-six player they desperately need.