Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
As Bruins sit at crossroads, a costly spending spree looms over a miserable season
The NHL's salary cap is set to soar in the next few offseason, but Boston can't retool just through free agency.
Elias Lindholm had a productive night on Thursday at TD Garden.
For just the fifth time in 53 games this season, the Bruins pivot registered at least two points on the scoresheet — orchestrating Brad Marchand’s power-play tally before snapping a shorthanded strike past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck later in the contest.
The Bruins, however, left the ice with zero points secured in the standings.
It’s been that type of season for Lindholm and his new team, with Boston’s offseason spending spree doing little to move the needle for a roster now staring at a tangible reality where its mismatched personnel is destined to be dismantled.
Advertisement:
Several factors have contributed to the current rudderless state of this Bruins roster — be it regression from key cogs, injuries, and a knack for letting go of the rope in critical situations.
But the Bruins’ offseason efforts to build upon an overachieving bunch in 2023-24 has further compounded Boston’s woes — hampering the organization’s efforts to effectively retool on the fly, and saddling a depth chart with players that are shrinking this team’s ceiling.
Entering last summer with $25 million in cap space after dealing Linus Ullmark to Ottawa, the Bruins allocated most of their fiscal flexibility toward Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov — doling out an annual cap hit of $12.75 million and a combined price tag of $82.25 million to bring both skaters aboard.
Advertisement:
That steep financial commitment — coupled with Jeremy Swayman’s eventual $66 million deal — hindered Boston’s ability to either retain fleet-footed skater Jake DeBrusk or, at the very least, replace him with other middle-six scorers like Anthony Duclair ($3.5 million AAV) or Tyler Toffoli ($6 million AAV).
But in Lindholm and Zadorov, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, and Boston’s top brass believed they found both their sought-after, 200-foot centerman, as well as the bruising blueliner required for the playoffs after being knocked on the mat by the Panthers in back-to-back years.
“Elias, I mean, his 200-foot game is remarkable,” Neely said at Boston’s Media Day presser in late September. “I mean, I don’t want to put him in the Patrice [Bergeron] category, but he’s Patrice-like.
“And Zadorov, I mean, a big back end like that, it just solidifies our back end. Our back end is big, and they’ve got some beef to them, which I think bodes well in the playoffs. I mean, you got to get to the playoffs, but I think we’re built a little bit stronger for the playoffs.”
Those playoff hopes are dwindling with each new day, with MoneyPuck now tabbing Boston with just a 19.1 percent chance of hosting playoff hockey on Causeway Street this spring.
Advertisement:
The inability of both Lindholm and Zadorov to further elevate Boston’s lineup has also been reinforced with each passing week.
Lindholm has been solid in face-offs (54.7 percent) and defensive assignments, while also ranking fourth among Bruins forwards in shorthanded reps per game (1:41).
That’s suitable for a defensive-minded, third-line center — which has been Lindholm’s primary role for the last few weeks. But the Bruins aren’t paying him close to $8 million a year to be a defensive stopgap. Envisioned as a top-line pivot who could stuff the stat sheet stapled next to David Pastrnak, Lindholm has not registered a 5-on-5 point in his last 13 games.
Boston has been outscored, 7-6, in the 197 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time that Lindholm and Pastrnak have skated together. When Lindholm has played alongside Brad Marchand, the Bruins are only outscoring opponents 18-16 over 438 minutes of 5-on-5 reps.
Lindholm may not be a net negative, but he’s also far from a play-driver — especially at his price tag.
Zadorov has been as advertised when it comes to his sandpaper style of play at times.
But his propensity for landing in the sin bin (a league-leading 115 penalty minutes) and occasional D-zone lapses have often put his team behind the eight-ball — with Boston’s own scoring woes giving them little margin for error when those D-zone breakdowns end with pucks sailing past Swayman.
Embracing a retool this season could see Boston net future assets by moving pending UFAs like Trent Frederic or even captain Brad Marchand. Players with terms like Brandon Carlo or Charlie Coyle might also be coveted by opposing teams.
Advertisement:
But moving players like Lindholm and Zadorov — fresh off of inking those hefty contracts — feels like a futile exercise.
A potential retool might come at a good time for the Bruins, given that the NHL’s salary cap is reportedly set to spike in the next few years. According to The Athletic, the league’s $88 million cap ceiling is expected to rise to $95.5 million in 2025-26 — and potentially $113.5 million by 2027-28.
With long-term deals involving franchise fixtures like Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy primed to age well moving forward, the Bruins should have the means to aggressively add more talent in the coming years to supplement that core.
But orchestrating a successful retool via a free-agent spending spree offers up its fair share of risks.
The Bruins don’t have to look back very far to heed those hard truths.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com