One free agent every NHL team should sign this offseason
By C.L. Kohuss
Boston Bruins: James Neal, Left Wing
The Boston Bruins don’t have a lot of areas in desperate need. They finished sixth in goals for, fourth in goals against and their special teams was top five on both sides. They only have one defenseman set to be an unrestricted free agent, with five forwards who could all move on to other clubs.
That includes 39-year-old Brian Gionta and trade acquisition Rick Nash. So the scoring depth has a few holes. Riley Nash is set to hit the market as well and will certainly be looking for a raise from his current $900,000. That means Boston, who will have around $15 million in cap room, has to shore up both right and left wing positions while managing a fairly small budget. Remember too, backup goaltender Anton Khudobin is also a free agent. At 31, he will likely be looking for bigger money either to stay or as a starter elsewhere. His numbers were solid behind Tuukka Rask, so it’s not out of the question that he signs on to another team.
With that, James Neal would be an excellent addition to a Bruins club filled with talent, and he isn’t going to break the bank. At only 30 years old, Neal has bounced around from Dallas to Pittsburgh to Nashville to Vegas while commanding only $5 million. Throughout, he’s put up 25 to 30 goals while averaging around 48 points the last five seasons.
It isn’t only the numbers, though. Neal is still an incredibly talented forward who gets under the skin of the opposition with his hard-nosed play and willingness to hit. That fits right in line with the Bruins’ style. Boston also has found a way to sign its top line to unbelievably team-friendly deals the next four seasons, so grabbing him around $5 million to $6 million isn’t out of the realm of possibility.