The Bruins have two new and old free agents to choose from.

The Boston Bruins are prepared to increase the depth of their center lineup this offseason by utilizing both the NHL trade market and free agency.

The Bruins made several attempts to acquire center Elias Lindholm this past season, as this site has reported on. Prior to the 29-year-old center’s move to the Vancouver Canucks on February 1st, they held NHL trade negotiations with the Calgary Flames. They then held more talks with the Canucks just before the NHL move Deadline on March 8th. It’s widely believed that the Bruins will once again target the 6-foot-1, 202-pound pivot, who concluded the 2023–24 regular season with 15 goals and 29 assists (along with the Flames and Canucks) while playing 75 games, given the predicted salary cap space of excess of $20.5 million. After that, he appeared in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games with five goals and five assists.

Speaking about the Bruins’ offseason plans in NHL Free Agency, Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman stated on the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts Podcast, “We talked about Elias Lindholm, and how he’s a player they liked before he got sold to Vancouver.”

But Friedman also mentioned Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights, another possible center option for the Bruins in the NHL’s free agency class.

Therefore, if he enters the market, I anticipate that they will be in on him. I heard someone else tell me to include Chandler Stephenson’s name. Many people, in my opinion, must be anticipating that Boston will take notice of Stephenson. There’s no denying that people think Boston will receive a center.

The Bruins have a history of following through on their commitments. Additionally, they typically draw excellent players to them due to their excellent organizational management. Therefore, I believe that someone is missing at this time, whether it is Lindholm, Stephenson, or another person. There is undoubtedly a perception that Boston will act as they have promised and move things along the middle here.

Stephenson, 30, finished the previous season with 35 assists and 16 goals in 75 regular season games. The 6-foot, 209-pound center only contributed one assist during the Knights’ opening-round seven-game series loss to the Dallas Stars. Nevertheless, with ten goals and ten assists in 22 playoff games last spring, he was a key member of their team that won the 2023 Stanley Cup.

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