A look at the five depth signings by Bruins on Day 1 of NHL free agency
BOSTON -- The Bruins didn't sign Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci on Wednesday, but Don Sweeney was not idle on the first day of NHL free agency. In addition to his trade for Pavel Zacha, the Bruins GM signed five players to help with Boston's organizational depth.
Forward A.J. Greer was the only player to get a one-way deal from Boston on Wednesday, inking a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $762,000. He had a goal and an assist in nine games with the Devils last season and has played in just 47 games in the NHL during his seven-year career, with the 6-foot-3 forward totaling two goals and six assists.
Greer has done most of his damage in the minors, including a 52-point season for the Utica Comets of the AHL last season. Based on Sweeney's comments Wednesday evening, the Bruins envision Greer as a fourth-line winger.
"From the skating and a speed standpoint, getting on pucks and being an aggressive mindset with his size — it's an attractive quality for us to add to our group," Sweeney said of the 25-year-old. "[Head coach Jim Montgomery] was excited about going through the coaching process and how he envisioned the bottom part of our lineup looking like. I think it was an area that we tried to identify and A.J. was a guy that we feel had some upside there."
Greer wasn't the only forward signed Wednesday, with the B's also inking 27-year-old Vinni Lettieri. The speedy forward played in 31 games for the Ducks last season and tallied five goals and five assists. He played 24 games for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, scoring eight goals while handing out 14 assists.
The 5-foot-11 Lettieri has played in 82 NHL games for the Rangers and Ducks, totaling seven goals and 11 assists.
Boston also signed a pair of defensemen to two-way deals, bringing in Dan Renouf and Connor Carrick. The 28-year-old Renouf appeared in four games for the Red Wings last season, and has played in 23 NHL games overall with Detroit and Colorado, racking up three assists. He received a two-year deal from the Bruins.
Carrick, also 28, had a goal and an assist in 11 games for the Devils in 2020-21, and has seen action in 247 career NHL games with Washington, Toronto, Dallas, and New Jersey, totaling 13 goals and 36 assists for 49 points. He signed a one-year contract with the B's.
Sweeney capped off his Wednesday signings by giving goaltender Kieth Kinkaid a one-year deal. The 33-year-old netminder won his only NHL start in 2021-22, making 29 saves for the Rangers in a 3-2 win over the Coyotes. He has played in 167 NHL games for New Jersey, Montreal and the Rangers, going 69-59-21 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.92 goals against average.
Kinkaid had a 20-14-3 record to go with a .904 save percentage and 2.94 goals-against average for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL last year.
Depth signings aren't the most exciting transactions, but Sweeney signed five players who have had lots of success at the AHL level on Wednesday. Greer could play an important role on Boston's fourth line next season, and the others should help the franchise's younger players in Providence with all of their experience in the minors.