Where Bruins Stand After First Week Of Free Agency
With the first week of free agency in the books, the Boston Bruins made headlines as Don Sweeney began to reshape the roster. Fan-favorite Torey Krug signed with the St. Louis Blues leaving a hole in the Bruins blueline. While his departure came as no surprise, it closed the books on his memorable nine-year run in Boston. The Bruins, however, wasted no time in improving the roster in other ways.
On the first day of free agency, the Bruins brought back a familiar face in Kevan Miller on a one-year deal. The veteran defenseman is not expected to replace Krug's production but should serve as a depth piece. Miller has been with the Bruins for six years but has not appeared in a game since the 2018-2019 season due to a fractured kneecap.
Additionally, the Bruins improved their scoring by signing Center Craig Smith to a three-year deal. In nine seasons with the Nashville Predators Smith scored 162 goals and recorded 168 assists. The veteran center has also been productive on the powerplay where he has recorded 76 career points. The Wisconsin native is coming off a solid season in which he had 31 points in 69 games.
Furthermore, Smith is expected to see most of his playing time on the Bruins second and third lines. He has scored 18 or more goals in three straight seasons and reached the 20 goal mark five times in his career. Smith is also not afraid to shoot the puck as he has attempted more than 200 shots in two of the past three seasons. Of his 162 career goals, 120 of them have come at even strength.
Despite the addition of Smith, the Bruins still need more offensively. The Bruins options are starting to dwindle as Tyler Toffoli, Taylor Hall, and Josh Anderson have already been signed. The defending Eastern Conference Champions, however, still have options in free agency such as Evgenii Dadonov.
Regardless of Sweeney's moves, the Bruins will be busy in the coming weeks. Jake DeBrusk, Zdeno Chara and Matt Grzcelcyk still need new deals. The rest of the Eastern Conference has also improved as the Bruins have been quiet since adding Smith.
Although the Bruins have improved their secondary scoring, they still need more. They also now have to replace Krug's production on the powerplay, where he was one of the leagues best. Sweeney, however, still has plenty of time to improve this roster.