This offseason, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney went to work wheeling and dealing with his roster. Gone are some free agents who have been a big part of what the Black and Gold accomplished the last couple of seasons and in are some much-needed upgrades to the roster.
The top free agent signing was center Elias Lindholm to center the top-line and give star David Pastrnak a true play-maker. On defense, Sweeney signed Lindholm's teammate with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks Nikita Zadarov to provide a big physical presence on the backend.
Sweeney also traded goalie Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators and got back goalie Joonas Korpisalo and bottom-six forward Mark Kastelic right before free agency began, but that didn't stop the former Bruins defenseman from adding more bottom-six forward depth.
Who is new Boston Bruins forward Max Jones?
Sweeney signed former Anaheim Ducks first-round draft pick in 2016 Max Jones. A bottom-six forward, he is going to be a player that Bruins fans are going to really like. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound winger plays a heavy game and isn't afraid to get under the skin of his opponent. He missed 30 games last season with various upper-body injuries and finished with five goals and 10 assists in 52 games for Anaheim. Sweeney spoke about Jones and Boston fans will love what their GM had to say.
“Max has been an intriguing player, not just because of where he was drafted, but the size of the player, the ability to forecheck, the ability to possess pucks,” said Sweeney. “He’s shown a willingness to get to the net, can he finish a little bit more if he’s pushed up the lineup and play with guys, that’s what we’re going to find out in terms of Max. But he just plays both sides, the possession game that (Jim Montgomery) wants to have, creates a little more anxiety, to tell you the truth, with arriving on time on the forecheck is a big part of the identification of several of these players.”
That sounds like someone who will make Bruins fans happy and enjoy watching. A fourth-line role for Jones with youngster John Beecher at center would be perfect for the former University of Michigan standout. He can potentially be a very under-the-radar addition in free agency this summer and a fan favorite.