The Boston Bruins have decisions to make on their expiring contracts before free agency opens on July 1. Based on factors such as roster needs and players' talent, we are ranking the 10 most important free agents and predicting their future in Boston.
With just under one month remaining until free agency opens, we will be going over the top 10 free agents for the Boston Bruins.
These are all “in-house” options that they will have to decide between keeping or letting go. This is not covering potential free agent targets on other teams.
Additionally, the ranking has less to do with the talent or production of the player, but rather the importance of the decision. Obviously each player’s ability factors into that determination, but based on the make-up of the roster and the team’s most-pressing needs, a ‘better’ player may not be as big a priority as a player in another position.
We started the list with No. 10 on Saturday, and today we unveil No. 9:
9. Derek Forbort, Defense
Age: 32
2023-24 stats: 35 GP, 0G-4A-4P
Previous contract: 3 years, $9 million
Total Years with Bruins: 3
2023-24 was a forgettable season for Forbort, who struggled with a groin injury early in the year and never quite reached full health. He ultimately had surgery on both groins as well as his thumb around the trade deadline, where Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said he was “more than likely” done for the season, but he ultimately worked his way back to become an option for the postseason, where he made three appearances.
Touted as the team’s shutdown defenseman and penalty killing specialist, Forbort did not bring the same impact that he had in his previous two seasons. In games where Forbort played, the Bruins were 96-for-118 on the penalty kill (81.4%). Without Forbort, the Bruins were slightly more successful at 126-for-150 (84.0%).
That change does not fall entirely on Forbort, but looking deeper, he was on the ice for 13 opposing power-play goals in 105:31 of penalty kill time, according to Natural Stat Trick. That is about 0.123 goals per minute, or nearly one goal allowed for every four power-play opportunities (two minutes). Only Hampus Lindholm (0.127) and Charlie Coyle (0.128) had a higher rate on the Bruins. While that doesn’t mean Forbort became a liability on the penalty kill, he didn’t elevate the unit like he had in the past.
Can some of that be chalked up to the injuries he was dealing with? Probably. But with limited returns in a contract year, and with Forbort entering his age-32 season, the Bruins will have to decide if he’s worth another investment.
Prediction: He walks
Much like Kevin Shattenkirk, Forbort is a past-his-prime defenseman who can probably better serve another team on their everyday third pair rather than shuffling in and out of a Bruins defensive corps that is more or less squared away for 2024-25.
There is certainly a path for Forbort to come in completely healthy and compete for that third left-shot spot with Parker Wotherspoon or any other incoming pieces, but it won’t be for $3 million a year.
Unsurprisingly, Forbort said he wants to return to Boston, talking about how much he likes playing for Jim Montgomery, but looking at the full picture, it’s probably the end of the line for Forbort in the Black & Gold.
“To be able to wear the [Bruins] jersey the last three years – I guess two-and-a-half, kinda – it’s been a dream come true,” Forbort said at end-of-season media availability. “I’ve loved every second of it.”
Other Stories: