If there was a clear No. 1 need for the Boston Bruins in free agency this summer, it was a true top center. GM Don Sweeney knew exactly what his team needed and he knew exactly who he wanted and he got him.
Less than an hour after free agency opened on July 1, Elias Lindholm agreed to a seven-year contract with the Black and Gold with an AAV of $7.75 million. He has been the guy that Sweeney has been trying to get for some time through a trade, but his patience to wait for him (and hoping) he hit free agency would come true and he pounced quickly.
Lindholm is going to benefit the roster for third-year head coach Jim Montgomery who has a player who can play in all situations and after struggling following a trade from the Calgary Flames last summer to the Vancouver Canucks, the Bruins are hoping to the Calgary version from their new pivot. Some players on the roster are going to benefit greatly from his addition and these are the top three players who stand to benefit the most in 2024-25.
David Pastrnak
Last season David Pastrnak led the Bruins in scoring with 47 goals, 14 shy of his 61 goals the previous season. Scoring has not been much of an issue, but now that he has a playmaker in Liondholm to center him, look for Pastrnak to eclipse his total from 2023-24.
Lindholm is a versatile forward who had four seasons of 30-plus assists with the Flames, including 51 in 2018-19 and he was doing that on a team that was not always in the postseason. Putting him next to Pastrnak both at even strength and on the power play will create more opportunities for him and open the ice. This was the best player available in free agency that you can put with Pastrnak for the future and see him continue to be one of the best offensive players in the NHL.