Boston Bruins Finally Get What They Needed One Year Later with No. 1 Center – and More

The Boston Bruins needed a first-line center after Patrice Bergeron retired in 2023. 

One year later, after many attempts to find one, they got one in Elias Lindholm. And they grabbed an exciting defenseman in the process.

The Boston Bruins entered the off-season in a state of transition in many regards, but Bruins GM Don Sweeney spent a lot of money to address that and acquire the two players.

Lindholm’s new contract pays an average annual salary of $7.75 million for the next seven seasons, while Zadorov agreed to a six-year, $30-million deal with a $5-million cap hit. 

The two veterans – formerly teammates on the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks this past season – give Boston some much-needed experience, and they’ve still got about $8.6 million in cap space. The bulk of that amount will go to RFA No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman, but that still leaves some room to add a veteran or two on a short-term contract heading into training camp.

Sweeney – who spoke to media Tuesday – said Lindholm had been on Boston’s radar for years, dating back to his time as an NHL draft pick. Sweeney then compared Lindholm to Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron.

“Way back in the draft, we identified Elias as a player that has a lot of Bergeron qualities,” Sweeney said. “Kudos to our scouting staff, following these guys and watching the growth… Acknowledging where Elias remains in his career and bringing the attributes he does. It’s kind of been a two-year pursuit.” 

As for Zadorov, Sweeney said his physicality and demeanor will fit in perfectly in Beantown.

“The presence that ‘Z’ brings is important to us,” Sweeney said. “Playing in a lot of top-four minutes in the playoffs, against top guys, (he) comes with a bit of swagger, (he) has certainly seen his game grow.

“Now he kind of really understands his game and what he brings to the table.”

Skeptics might argue the Bruins spent a lot of money on a center who isn’t a bona fide No. 1 center and on a blueliner who isn’t particularly elite in any area of the game. But Lindholm was one of the best options out there at center, and Zadorov’s abrasive game fits in well with Boston’s blueprint for success. 

Sweeney had to let go of a couple of veterans – goalie Linus Ullmark in a trade and winger Jake DeBrusk (now a Canuck) via free agency – but he’s filled the holes the B's have in their lineup, and he hasn’t completely hamstrung them when it comes to long-term cap flexibility. 

There will be major areas to address at the end of next season, when UFAs, including captain Brad Marchand and forward Trent Frederic, will need new contracts. But in the battle to stay relevant in the competitive Atlantic, the Bruins get an injection of playoff experience and aggressiveness that will be music to the ears of coach Jim Montgomery.

“It speaks to the commitment from ownership, first and foremost, in terms of staying as competitive as we can,” Sweeney said. “We’ve been very competitive, we haven’t had the success we expect to have in the playoffs, and these types of players should help us in that regard.” 

Boston’s competitive window is closer to closing than it is to being wide open, but with these latest moves, Sweeney has assured his players they’re expected to do big things again this coming season. 

The Bruins will be a physically robust, relatively deep group in most areas in 2024-25, and the additions they made Monday ensure they remain relevant in any discussion of next year’s post-season picture.

“We’re trying to check off the boxes of being internally competitive,” Sweeney said of the signings. “So we’ve got sort of an internal growth modem, but we checked off a lot of the boxes with two key components.” 

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