Listen live to WEEI
The Bruins’ offseason moves have begun, and the first is a big one.
The Bruins have traded left wing Taylor Hall and the rights to unrestricted free agent Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the rights to restricted free-agent defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. The Bruins are not retaining any salary, so this is, at its core, a salary dump.
Hall, 31, has two years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $6 million. He had a 16-team no-trade list, but according to NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Blackhawks were not on it, so the Bruins did not need his approval to make the trade. While Hall may not be thrilled about going to a rebuilding team, there is a good chance he’ll skate on a line with No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard.
The trade should help facilitate the Bruins’ attempts to re-sign fellow left wing Tyler Bertuzzi, which is a clear priority for general manager Don Sweeney this offseason. Bertuzzi and Hall tied for the team lead in postseason goals with five apiece, but Bertuzzi is three years younger and brings more of the gritty, net-front game Boston had been looking for. The Bruins could lock him up for longer, for more prime years, and potentially for less money annually.
Foligno made it clear after the season that he wanted to stay in Boston, but that was always unlikely because the Bruins simply aren’t in a position to spend much money on veteran fourth-liners.
Mitchell, 24, is a 5-foot-11 right-shot defenseman who has played 82 NHL games across three professional seasons. He played for Bruins coach Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver and could get a shot to compete for an NHL roster spot, especially if Boston doesn’t re-sign Connor Clifton.
Regula, 22, is also a right-shot defenseman, one who’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds. He was a third-round pick in 2018 and has appeared in 22 NHL games.
Related
