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5 Former Bruins Among NHL's Top Free Agents Still Available
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- 5 Former Bruins Among NHL's Top Free Agents Still Available
While July 1 has passed, there are still a decent number of players who remain on the free agent market. A good number of them happen to be former Boston Bruins .
Matt Grzelcyk, James van Riemsdyk, Danton Heinen, Mike Reilly, and Reilly Smith are among the NHL's top remaining UFAs.
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Out of these five players, Grzelcyk is the player who had the most success as a Bruin. The 32-year-old spent eight seasons with the Bruins and was often paired with Charlie McAvoy. The Massachusetts native had 12 assists in 69 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
van Riemsdyk played one season for Boston in 2023-24, where he had 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games. The veteran winger had 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, so he can still provide decent secondary scoring at this point in his career.
Heinen played five seasons over two stints with the Bruins. After posting 36 points in 74 games with the Bruins during the 2023-24 season, he has had stops with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets. In 46 games last season split between Pittsburgh and Columbus, he had six goals and 12 points.
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Reilly spent three seasons with the Bruins from 2020-21 to 2022-23. He played in 42 games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he had one goal and nine points. He could be a decent pickup for a team needing more defensive depth.
As for Smith, he played for two seasons with the Bruins from 2013-14 and 2014-15. The veteran winger was a solid top-six forward during his prime but has seen his offense drop off in recent seasons. In 69 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, the 35-year-old forward recorded 16 goals and 26 points.
