The Boston Bruins have had several departures from their roster this off-season, and defenseman Ian Mitchell is another one.
After not being tendered a qualifying offer by the Bruins, Mitchell has signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
It is understandable that the Red Wings are taking a shot on Mitchell. It is not a secret that they need more defensive depth on their right side, and he should be a nice pickup for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, at a minimum. However, he could also be a candidate to be an extra defenseman on their NHL roster if he puts together a strong training cmap.
Mitchell spent each of the last two seasons with the Bruins organization after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal that sent Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Windy City. In 28 games over two seasons with Boston, he posted three assists, eight hits, 36 blocks, and a plus-4 rating.
Mitchell spent most of this season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. In 47 games with the AHL squad, Mitchell posted four goals, 27 points, and a plus-11 rating. He also had one assist and a minus-2 rating in 15 contests for Boston in 2024-25.
Bruins Taking Big Risk With Questionable Free-Agent Signing
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> made multiple additions to their roster during the first day of free agency, but they did not get a true top-six winger. Instead, they signed an array of bottom-six forwards, with Tanner Jeannot being the most notable. However, this is due to the big contract that he received.
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