The Boston Bruins had two players in their sights this offseason even before NHL free agency officially opened. The Bruins addressed two important needs early on July 1st when they revealed that they had agreed to terms with center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov shortly after the clock struck noon. In the wake of the acquisitions, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney remarked, “We checked off a lot of boxes with two key components.” “We believe they will make us more competitive internally.”
It’s evident from the contract numbers alone how eager the Bruins were to add Lindholm and Zadorov. As Boston’s top centerman, Lindholm will make $54.25 million over the next seven years.
His contract is the biggest free agency agreement in Bruins history, but according to AFP Analytics, it’s also worth $20 million more and spans two years longer than what was anticipated when he signed this offseason. Zadorov was paid well too, agreeing to a $30 million six-year contract that was one year longer than expected but also marginally less than expected.
Sweeney made a significant investment in the contracts, but only time will tell if it was worthwhile. On the one hand, adding a front-line center and some muscle to the back end this summer was imperative for the Bruins. Nevertheless, Lindholm and Zadorov are approaching their 30th birthdays and are recovering off disappointing seasons last year.When asked for an Open Championship prediction, LPGA icon Annika Sorenstam responded, “Maybe I should see Jordan win again,” during a joint press conference with Reaves prior to the American Century Championship.
However, just as much weight is placed on the decisions general managers do make, and as much is placed on the ones they don’t. Even though the Bruins saw Lindholm and Zadorov early on, other players that suited their needs this summer inked contracts elsewhere. Except for Lindholm, the Bruins may have benefited from the services of Sean Monahan and Chandler Stephenson, two additional centers of similar age, skill level, and career record.
