Bruins Make Offseason Much Harder With Trade Deadline Deals
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- NHL free agency is primed to have a big year in 2016. Several big-ticket players hit the unrestricted free agent market if they don't re-sign with their current teams, and there are even plenty of options among pending restricted FAs.
The Boston Bruins have pressing needs for defense and could lose Loui Eriksson to unrestricted free agency, but stand to gain $4.25 million in cap space from Eriksson's potential departure. The trades that the Bruins made before this season and at the trade deadline, however, could hurt their ability to sign the major pieces they need in free agency - or even make a trade.
Restricted free agents rarely accept offer sheets. Teams that sign players to accepted offer sheets are required to compensate the player's former team with their own, original draft picks for the following season based on the AAV of all salary and bonuses in the player's new contract. GMs can rarely price out teams that lack cap space or sign an RFA without overpaying in terms of money or picks. This makes teams reluctant to even bother trying.
Based on the 2015 scale, most AAVs require a second and/or third-round pick as compensation. The Bruins do not have a second or third-round pick in 2017. They traded their third for Zac Rinaldo in the 2015 offseason and moved their second to New Jersey for Lee Stempniak at Monday's trade deadline. If they want to even attempt to sign an RFA to an offer sheet in 2016, they could only sign FAs making under $1.5 million annually. Last year's maximum AAV that required no compensation was $1,205,377.
The Bruins' complicated situation likely leaves them out of luck on young, highly talented players that are pending RFAs like the Blue Jackets' Seth Jones, the Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon, or the Flames' Johnny Gaudreau. Those players would be dream acquisitions; the Bruins, like most teams, are still far more likely to shop the un-restricted free agent market. However, this year's pool of defensemen under 30 who could be a top-4 on the Bruins is extremely shallow; the Rangers' Keith Yandle would top that list.
For the Bruins to get that top-4 defenseman (or two, or three) that they desperately need, they likely have to trade for it - and, with two third-rounders, a second, a fourth and a fifth gone from trades, they even made a trade harder to accomplish. The team will also need to depend on the draft; 2015 first-round pick Jakub Zboril could be that guy, but he is a year or two away from cracking the NHL roster.
The Bruins enter the 2016 offseason with plenty of draft capital and could gain cap space if Eriksson walks. But, due to their recent deals, they have made their options for big moves surprisingly low.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.