After their season came to an end Friday night with a Game 6 loss to the Florida Panthers, the Boston Bruins held their annual “breakup day” media availability with players on Sunday at Warrior Ice Arena.
As always, there were plenty of newsworthy items with players discussing their seasons, their futures, injuries, and more.
In the sake of full transparency, I will note that I was unable to attend this year because we were on the WEEI airwaves for our season finale of Sunday Skate (which you can listen to above). Stick taps to my Bruins beat colleagues for asking the questions, and to the Bruins PR and video teams for posting all the players’ availabilities.
Here are some of the biggest notes and quotes that stood out:
Swayman and Ullmark’s futures
After an excellent playoff run, Jeremy Swayman now needs a new contract. He wants it to be a long-term extension with the Bruins, and he expects that will get done eventually.
“I am, and I'm confident that my agent and I and management will figure out the details this summer. And I'm looking forward to it,” Swayman said.
Swayman went through a contentious negotiation with the Bruins last summer that ended with an arbitration hearing and a one-year deal. The whole process clearly bothered Swayman, who brought it up unprompted on multiple occasions this season.
It does not appear that soured any relationships nearly enough to make Swayman reconsider his future in Boston, though.
“I think it's obvious how much I care about this organization, how much I care about this team and the city,” he said. “And I wouldn't want it to be any other way. And so, that's what allowed me to come to the rink every day and just give my absolute all, because I know I'm representing more than myself and my family. I’m representing the city and an organization and a great history. You talk to guys around the league that don't have that experience, and I feel bad for them. So, I couldn't be more happy to be a Bruin.”
Swayman’s running mate, Linus Ullmark, is under contract for next season, yet his future with the Bruins looks a lot less certain. With Swayman likely doubling his salary into the $7-8 million range, having another $5 million tied up in Ullmark may simply be too much money devoted to goaltending, especially with Boston in need of upgrades at forward.
Trading Ullmark would seem to be near the top of general manager Don Sweeney’s offseason to-do list, especially with reports that he already tried to move Ullmark at the trade deadline, only to have Ullmark utilize his 16-team no-trade clause to block a move.
Asked about his future on Sunday, Ullmark initially sidestepped the elephant in the room and made it clear he wants to remain in Boston.
“My future here? I’ve got one more year. I'm very excited about what's to come,” he said.
Ullmark then opened up a little more about the trade rumors, though, acknowledging that there’s only so much he can control.
“It’s hard to not hear it,” Ullmark said. “You can't be isolating yourself, because then you would live in a shed in the woods and you’d show up here for practice sometimes. But I mean, I have you guys [the media]. You're always going to ask questions. You want to know what's happening. You can ask questions, obviously, to get to the answers that you might want, but I'm not going to give you any good answers other than that.
“So, for that matter, that's also one of the things that was new for me this year. I have never been a part of any trade talks before, so that was a new experience. Was it hard? Yeah, it was hard, because you're very comfortable where you are, you don't want to move when you feel like you're playing well and you have the team and you have the bonds that you’ve made with your teammates.
“…For me, it's above my pay grade as well, really. I don't have the luxury to choose that. If I could, I'm probably going to say the same thing as everybody else, that I want to stay, and I'm going to stay. But we live in a world where professional sports is, you’ve got to deal with the hand you've been dealt with. Like I said, I have one more year. I wouldn't want anything else than to come back here, get a little bit of a revenge tour. Like I said, I’m very excited and motivated for what’s to come.”
Ullmark does have some measure of control, though. He still has a 16-team no-trade list (that drops down to 15 teams on July 1). Asked if he would use his no-trade protection again this summer, Ullmark certainly sounded like there are still teams he would not waive it for.
“I mean, I have my list, and my list is there,” he said. “We worked very hard for it. There’s a reason for why it’s there. It’s something that players before me worked really hard to get, so we have that luxury. And there’s a reason why it’s there, and there’s a reason why certain teams are on there. There might be personal things, but that’s up to each and every player to have. When it comes to my personal things, that’s something for me, my family and my agent to deal with and take care of, and I don’t have any obligation to share the reasons why I have certain teams on that list.”
DeBrusk remains hopeful for extension
Jake DeBrusk had a tough regular season, recording 40 points in 80 games – 10 fewer points than last season despite playing 16 more games. He revealed Friday night that he broke his hand just before the All-Star break and didn’t feel quite right until just before the playoffs.
He felt better and played better in the postseason, leading the Bruins in goals (5) and points (11). With free agency looming, the strong finish should help DeBrusk out on his next contract. Whether that contract is with the Bruins or another team remains to be seen.
DeBrusk said he wants to remain in Boston and still sees a path to an extension, but that he had hoped a new deal would have already been done by now.
“Yeah, I see a path here,” he said. “I think I’ve said it all year, that I still have hope. If you told me at the beginning of the year that I’d be here without a contract, I probably wouldn’t believe you.”
Asked what he’ll prioritize if he does hit the open market, DeBrusk said there’s only one thing he cares about.
“To win,” he said. “I think that's something that I want. I think, I’ve been now, this is my seventh time in the playoffs. I've got a lot of experience playing games obviously, was close in 2019. That's the biggest thing. I think that's all I want to do now is to win a Stanley Cup. So that's the number one priority. Just going to go, and that's probably what I’ll look for.”
The Bruins need to add to their top six this summer, not subtract from it, and that is true whether they keep DeBrusk or not. If they let DeBrusk walk, you would hope that means there’s a plan in place to use his money towards an upgrade, either in free agency or via trade.
Injury reveals from Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm, others
Ah yes, the injury list. There were a few we already knew. As mentioned above, DeBrusk revealed on Friday that he broke his hand just before the All-Star break. Brad Marchand also confirmed that he was indeed in concussion protocol while missing Games 4 and 5 against Florida.
There were more injury reveals on Sunday, though. David Pastrnak said he played through an on-and-off groin injury this season, but that it wasn’t an issue in the playoffs. Charlie McAvoy said he was dealing with an AC joint injury (shoulder) most of the season that was "annoying," but was something he could play through. Hampus Lindholm told reporters that he suffered a knee injury in February and wore a brace after that.
Danton Heinen missed five playoff games due to injury. He called it a “lingering” issue, but declined to say exactly what it was. He doesn’t believe it will require surgery.
Derek Forbort said he had surgery on both groins during the season, as well as a torn ligament in his thumb. The injuries were initially expected to be season-ending when he went on long-term injured reserve in early March, but he returned to play three playoff games.
Matt Grzelcyk said he tore his oblique back in October, which forced him to miss a month at the time. He said it was “tough to get back from” and that he “had a tough time finding my groove after that.”
All the unrestricted free agents want to come back
The Bruins have seven pending unrestricted free agents. Unsurprisingly, they all said they’d like to be back. We already covered Jake DeBrusk earlier, but here’s the other six in their own words.
Danton Heinen: “I love it here. It’s a great organization to be a part of. It’s a competitive team always, and that’s what you want.”
Derek Forbort: “Yes, definitely. Jim [Montgomery] is someone that I love playing for, the way he thinks about the game and the way he explains things. I love the guys in the locker room. I’ve been on other teams and this is a pretty special group in here.”
Matt Grzelcyk: “This is the only place that I’ve known and the place that I grew up wanting to be. It's been an unbelievable experience since I've been here and I'm so grateful for the opportunity and not only getting to play here, but to be around a special place and special people that are within the organization. So, those are things that I'm starting to look back on and cherish.”
Pat Maroon: “I would love to stay. I really enjoyed my time here. My time here has been amazing, and I really truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. This is a good group of guys and a great organization. … I had the best experience of my life and my career to be a part of this group and be a part of these guys that really truly care.”
Kevin Shattenkirk: “I would love it to be here. I love this group, and I’m excited about where they're going. … I'm gonna have to just see how it plays out and see what teams are looking at. Like I said, hopefully it's Boston.”
James van Riemsdyk: “I loved my time here this year. Certainly would love it if I was able to come back. So, obviously all that stuff kind of gets worked out over the course of the summer and things like that, but can't say enough good things about my experience here and about the group of guys that we have here and the staff and things like that.”
That’s all nice to hear if you’re the Bruins. Here’s one thing we can guarantee, though: They won’t be re-signing all seven of those UFAs. There’s a chance they might not sign any of them. Here are some quick-hit thoughts on each:
DeBrusk: Covered him earlier, but if the Bruins have roughly $5.5-$6 million budgeted for a wing, with bigger money going to Swayman and a center, then DeBrusk may very well be the best option in that price range. But if Don Sweeney wants to chase a bigger-ticket wing, then the savings from letting DeBrusk walk could help him do so.
Heinen: His 17 goals tied for seventh on the team. He can move up and down the lineup, play either wing, and play both power play and penalty kill. The Bruins will and should have some interest in bringing him back, but he’s also in line for a raise after making the veteran minimum of $775,000 this season. How much of a raise will likely determine whether Boston can keep him.
Forbort: Loved by his teammates and coaches. Have to respect his willingness to step in front of every slap shot. But his 5-on-5 play didn’t justify his $3 million salary, and Parker Wotherspoon and Andrew Peeke were both playing better by the end of the season. If Forbort is willing to take a sizable pay cut with no guarantee of regular playing time, maybe he’s back. Otherwise, he’s probably gone.
Grzelcyk: You can’t beat the story of the Charlestown kid whose dad works on the Garden bull gang, but it feels like this relationship has probably come to an end. The younger, bigger Mason Lohrei took Grzelcyk’s lineup spot this postseason and won’t be giving it back, and the Bruins will probably want more size and physicality lower in the lineup.
Maroon: There’s value in his leadership and toughness, but he’s probably not an everyday player on a true contender at this point. He’s eligible for a 35-plus contract. Would he be open to a one-year deal at the veteran minimum with a couple hundred thousand more tacked on in bonuses? If he’s willing to do that with no guarantee of regular playing time, why not bring him back?
Shattenkirk: Similar situation to Maroon – minus the toughness, but plus some power-play experience. Shattenkirk gave a speech before Game 7 against Toronto that his teammates raved about, but he also wasn’t used at all in the Florida series. Like Maroon, he’s eligible for a 35-plus contract (low cap hit, chance to make some extra money in bonuses). You could certainly do a lot worse for a cheap seventh or eighth defenseman, if Shattenkirk is willing to be that.
Van Riemsdyk: Strong first half of the season, very quiet second half, OK postseason (5 points in 11 games). It’s hard to see where van Riemsdyk would fit next season, even if he’s cheap. He’s not a top-six wing anymore, he was inconsistent even as a third-liner, and he doesn’t play the kind of game you’re usually looking for in a fourth-liner. JVR seems likely to end up elsewhere.