The Boston Bruins' clear goal in free agency this year should be to improve their forward group. They are in a position to do some spending, as they have $12 million of cap space to work with.
Bringing in a proven top-six winger should be the No. 1 priority for the Bruins. However, when looking at their forward group, they would also benefit by adding a less expensive middle-six forward to their roster, too. Because of this, one player who the Bruins should seriously consider pursuing is forward Philip Tomasino.
Tomasino was surprisingly not tendered a qualifying offer by the Penguins and will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA). While the Penguins could still try to re-sign him once free agency opens, the Bruins should make a real push for him.
Tomasino is exactly the kind of young forward who a rebuilding Bruins club should consider taking a chance on. He showed promise this past season after being acquired by the Penguins from the Nashville Predators, as he had 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games. He also had 20 points in 41 games with Nashville in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he can produce decent secondary offensive production, which is something the Bruins need.
Tomasino is also just 23 years old, so there is reason to believe that he can still hit a new level. He undoubtedly has potential, and it is why the Predators selected him in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Perhaps going to a team like the Bruins could help the 6-foot forward hit that next level.
If the Bruins signed Tomasino, he would offer them a young, skilled forward who can play both down the middle and on the wing. On an affordable short-term deal, he could be a steal of a pickup for the Bruins if he breaks, just like Morgan Geekie was during the 2023 NHL off-season.
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The first day of NHL free agency is here, and it is going to be a big day in the league. While several of this year's top pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have re-signed with their clubs, there are still some interesting names hitting the market who the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> could consider targeting.
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