The Boston Bruins have multiple pending free agents as we get closer to July 1, and one of them is defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The 26-year-old blueliner is a pending unrestricted free agent and could be a popular target if he hits the market at the start of next month.
However, if the Bruins have it their way, Jokiharju will not become a UFA on July 1.
While speaking to reporters, including 98.5 The Sports Hub's Ty Anderson, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed that the Original Six club are still working to re-sign Jokiharju with July almost here.
"We have a need on the right side, no doubt about that," Sweeney said.
Hearing that Sweeney is aiming to re-sign Jokiharju is understandable. There is no question that the right side of their defense is one of the weakest parts of their roster, and losing Jokiharju would not help things on that front.
Jokiharju appeared in 18 games with the Bruins after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, where he recorded four assists, 22 blocks, and a plus-7 rating. Overall, he fit in well with the Bruins following the move, so it is understandable that they want to bring him back.
However, even if the Bruins successfully re-sign Jokiharju, they should still look to bring in a proper top-four defenseman for their right side to replace Brandon Carlo, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline. In an ideal world, Jokiharju would probably be better suited on Boston's bottom pairing.
Bruins Prospect Defenseman Signs With Overseas Club
At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> acquired defenseman Daniil Misyul from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Marc McLaughlin. Now, his time with the Bruins organization is coming to a close, at least for now.
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