The Boston Bruins are preparing for what should be a busy off-season. Bruins management's goal is to make the team competitive again, and they are going to have plenty of cap space to work with this summer. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Bruins make multiple additions to their group this off-season.
One area where the Bruins should focus on improving this summer is their defense. After trading Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, the Bruins should be looking to bring in a steady top-four defenseman. One pending unrestricted free agent who stands out as a possible target for the Bruins because of it is Los Angeles Kings blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov.
While Gavrikov is a left-shot defenseman, he can play the right side and has done so often this season with the Kings. Thus, he could be a great addition for the Bruins to add to their second pairing. In addition, his steady defensive play would make him an obvious choice for the Bruins' penalty kill if signed.
While Gavrikov is more known for his strong defense, he can also contribute offense from the point. In 82 games this season with the Kings, he had five goals, 30 points, and a plus-26 rating. Thus, the 6-foot-3 blueliner provides a bit of everything and could be a major addition to the Bruins' blueline because of it.
The Bruins were also one of the teams connected to Gavrikov leading up to the 2023 NHL trade deadline before the Kings acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. That was not very long ago, so it would be understandable if the Bruins expressed interest in yet again this summer. It will be interesting to see if they pursue him from here.
Recent Bruins News
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Bruins Have Decision To Make With Breakout Forward
During this past off-season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> signed forward Cole Koepke to a one-year, two-way contract. Following the move, the expectation was that Koepke would simply play down in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and be a call-up candidate when injuries occurred on <a href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwluDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen">Boston</a>'s roster.
Bruins Should Target Intriguing Canucks Forward This Summer
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> are gearing up for what should be a very busy off-season. They are entering the summer with plenty of cap space and will be looking to improve their roster after a terribly disappointing 2024-25 campaign.