With the expansion draft now less than a week away, the Bruins off season is getting a little bit more interesting. Over this past week, a lot has happened in the NHL. From extensions to buy outs and signings to retirements, most of the NHL appears to be gearing up for a hectic offseason. The Bruins are no exception.
Bruins D-Man, Brandon Carlo fights for the puck. (Via Sportsnet)
Starting off with the what is probably the best news for Bruins fans this week, the Bruins have signed Brandon Carlo. The deal will be $4.1 million a year for six years. Carlo has proven to be one of the Boston Bruins’ best defenseman. Carlo along with Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk will make up the Bruins d-core of the future.
In 324 games for Boston, Carlo has bosts a +/- of +58. For those unfamiliar with the +/- stat, that means Carlo has been on the ice more for goals scored than goals against. This actually puts Carlo 30th among active defenseman for this stat. This clearly shows the young defenders capabilities. Carlo is the stay at home D-man Boston needs.
Bruins D-Man, Kevan Miller gives the Sabres’ Tage Thompson the business. (Via NBC Sports)
Now to the saddest news for Bruins fans this week, defenseman Kevan Miller has retired. Miller is not exactly known for his flashy offense or lights out defense, but his grit won over Bruins fans. Miller played the role of tough guy for the Bruins. However, he was a very capable tough guy.
Miller began play with Boston in 2013-2014 and immediately made an impression. Only playing 47 games that season, Miller still racked up 38 penalties in minutes. At the end of his career, Miller finished with a total of 281 PIM. Unfortunately, his play style resulted in injury issues for Miller. Miller’s presence on the ice will undoubtedly be missed by Boston.
Zach Parise and Ryan Suter line up for a faceoff. (Via TSN)
Now on to speculation for the Bruins future. This week, the Minnesota Wild bought out both forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter. While not the only buyouts this week, these two were particularly notable. Parise and Suter had played in Minnesota for nearly a decade, them leaving is an end of an era. And now, both these players are big names on the free agency market.
With Boston’s struggles on defense this past year, a veteran D-man like Suter could help. While Suter is not exactly in his prime, the experience and leadership he caries could bolster Boston’s back end. If the Bruins can bring on Suter for a low cost, there is no reason Boston should pass this opportunity up. With Boston’s own star players on the back end of their prime, veteran leadership could be a factor in a potential cup run.
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