Former Bruins in the NHL: Metropolitan Division

Continuing a more current spinoff of the obscure former Bruins posts that I do, I'm looking across the league to find former Bruins players on NHL teams this year. Having tackled the Atlantic Division already, it's time to wrap up the Eastern Conference with former Bruins on Metropolitan Division teams.

What former Bruins players are playing for Metropolitan Division teams this season?

The Metropolitan Division is littered with former Bruins players. The New York Rangers have Reilly Smith on their roster, who joined the Bruins as part of the big Tyler Seguin-Loui Eriksson trade with the Dallas Stars. Smith had 33 goals and 58 assists in 163 games with the Bruins in the regular season to go with four goals and an assist in 12 playoff games. He was then traded to the Florida Panthers for Jimmy Hayes in a one-for-one trade.

The other team in New York, the Islanders, have former Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly on the roster. Reilly was a trade deadline addition along with Taylor Hall during the Covid shortened 56 game 2021 season and put up eight points in 15 games. It ended up being a longer stay, as Reilly signed a three-year deal in the offseason.

Reilly got in a full year with the Bruins in 2021-2022 before spending most of 2022-2023 in the AHL due to the Bruins' logjam on defense. He was then bought out and signed with the Florida Panthers before last season. He then found his way to the Islanders, where his 6-goal, 18-assist performance led to him re-signing with them for this season.

Former Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov will suit up for the Carolina Hurricanes this year as he begins his second season with the team. Orlov was a trade deadline acquisition for the record-setting 2022-2023 team, posting incredible numbers with the Bruins thanks to a four goal, 13 assist showing in 23 games before adding eight assists in the playoffs. Orlov had six goals and 20 assists in 82 games with the Hurricanes last year.

The Philadelphia Flyers have former Bruins forward Garnet Hathaway donning the orange and black this season. Hathaway was acquired by the Bruins as part of their all in push during the 2022-2023 season and had four goals and two assists in 25 games, serving as a physical fourth-line forward.

Hathaway entered free agency after the year and signed a two year deal with the Flyers. After scoring seven goals and adding 10 assists in year one, the Flyers decided to sign him to a two-year extension that starts in 2025-2026 at a slight pay raise.

One member of last year's Bruins squad, James van Riemsdyk, will be donning a Columbus Blue Jackets uniform this year. He went unsigned deep into the offseason before signing with Columbus at the outset of training camp.

Last season was unspectacular but still solid for van Riemsdyk, as he produced 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points, nine more than his total from 2022-2023. He added one goal and four assists in 11 playoff games. He's the kind of veteran player Columbus could benefit from during their rebuild.

The New Jersey Devils have a pair of former Bruins playing for them this season, as Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar will be wearing red. Haula was a perfectly capable one year center for the Bruins, notching 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points, the second highest point total in his career. He was then traded to the Devils in exchange for Pavel Zacha and though he's remained a good player for New Jersey, the trade is still a win for Boston.

Lazar spent roughly a season and a half with the Bruins after being traded along with Taylor Hall from the Buffalo Sabres in a lopsided trade that heavily benefitted the Bruins. He had four points in 17 games in the tail end of 2021 before notching eight goals and eight assists in 70 games in his only full season in Boston. Last season, he had 7 goals and 18 assists in 71 games for the Devils, setting a career high in points with 25 after his previous high of 16 came with the Bruins.

Wrapping things up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, they have a trio of former Bruins players on their roster. The least well known of the three is Joona Koppanen, a fifth round pick of the Bruins in 2016 who made his debut in 2022-2023, recording one assist in five games. He appeared in four games with the Penguins last year and didn't record a point. He'll likely remain as AHL depth for the team.

Former Bruins forward Noel Acciari also plays for the Penguins. After notching 18 goals and 13 assists in 180 regular season games for the Bruins, Acciari has played for the Panthers, Blues, Maple Leafs, and Penguins, recording four goals and three assists in 55 games for the Penguins last season.

The most notable former Bruin on the Penguins is Matt Grzelcyk. A Boston kid, Grzelcyk was a valuable defenseman for most of his Bruins tenure, but it was clear last season that he had lost hold of a roster spot and was on the outside looking in for playing time. That was reaffirmed when the Bruins let him walk in free agency, where he signed a one year, prove it deal with the Penguins. Hopefully for him, he can turn his career around in Pittsburgh.