The Boston Bruins will have $20+ million to spend this offseason. The Hockey News is evaluating potential targets leading up to July 1.
With NHL Free Agency opening on July 1, the Boston Bruins will have decisions to make on both their expiring contracts as well as players leaving other teams that they could make a run for on the open market.
Earlier this month, we ranked the top 10 most important Boston Bruins free agents, consisting of the players with expiring contracts and their relative value to the team.
This time, we’ll be covering 10 free agents from other teams that could be attractive to Boston. These are not ranked in any particular order, but it will ultimately focus on the Bruins’ biggest needs: a top-six forward (or two), a left-shot defenseman and – potentially – a backup goalie for Jeremy Swayman.
There will be a new name covered every day leading up to the start of free agency.
Previously, we looked at Elias Lindholm, Brenden Dillon and most recently Tyler Bertuzzi, but today we look at another 'Tyler':
Tyler Toffoli, Forward
Age: 32
2023-24 team(s): New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets
2023-24 stats: 79 GP, 33G-22A-55P
Previous Contract AAV: $4.25 million
Expected New AAV (per AFPAnalytics): $6.04 million
In my opinion, there are few potential free agent targets that would fit Boston’s needs better than Tyler Toffoli. The winger has scored 33 and 34 goals in each of the past two seasons, respectively, and adds a level of experience – in both the regular season and playoffs – that not many options on the open market can rival.
A member of the 2014 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, Toffoli has been a quality NHL scorer for the better part of the 10 years since. The New Jersey Devils acquired him last summer in an attempt to load up their top-six forward group, but after failing to reach expectations and falling out of the playoff race, they shipped him to the contending Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in March.
With the Bruins expected to see Jake DeBrusk walk in free agency, and needing top-six help regardless of whether or not DeBrusk stays, Toffoli would inject some life into an offense that stagnated by the end of its playoff run. Toffoli’s 33 goals in 2023-24 would have ranked second on the Bruins behind David Pastrnak (49).
The main question – as is the case for nearly every free agent target – is how much will they have to spend in order to sign him. That is, if they even want him to begin with. Under the assumption the Bruins would want Toffoli, AFPAnalytics projects Toffoli will get a four-year, $24+ million contract. Would the Bruins want to give a 32-year-old Toffoli that many years? It’s a bit of a risk, but assuming he can bring similar production for the first two years of that deal, it certainly wouldn’t be an albatross contract. Additionally, more years means less in average annual value, which would allow the Bruins more space to work on the rest of the roster.
For the right price, Toffoli should be one of Boston’s top priorities on the open market come July.
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