( Photo Credit: Providence Bruins / Flickr )

By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter @BlackAndGold277

Per the amazing CapFriendly.com website, the Boston Bruins have agreed to a contract extension with 24-year-old goaltender Kyle Keyser. The 6′-2″ 180-pound netminder accepted his qualifying offer this week as a restricted free agent, and the details of this signing can be seen below. After this upcoming season, Keyser will remain an RFA and will most likely circle around again next summer to negotiate another deal if the organizational depth needs a body for another season.

Keyser has been with the Bruins organization since October of 2017, when he signed a three-year, entry-level deal as an undrafted netminder playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals. After leaving the OHL, he joined the Providence Bruins organization, where he’s spent the majority of his minor-pro development.

With his time in the American Hockey League, Kyle has appeared in 68 games and has a career record of 28-25-17 with a 2.79 goals-against-average and .904 save percentage. Last season he posted a 13-6-2 record in a year; he suffered another injury that has plagued his pro career for the last five seasons. Keyser is a battler nonetheless and continues to work hard, which obviously caught the eye of goaltending coaches Bob Essensa and, more particularly, Mike Dunham, who often is on the road visiting developing prospects either in the Canadian Hockey League or locally with the NCAA goaltenders nearby areas of operations.

With the NHL Bruins goaltending tandem seemingly going towards another year of Linus Ullmark and Jeremey Swayman, the developing depth in the crease this upcoming season should be interesting. Netminders Brandon Bussi and Keyser are locked up for the upcoming season and most likely be the tandem in Providence.

Restricted free agent Michael DiPietro remains unsigned at this point, and Providence signed Massachusetts native Shane Starrett who will most likely see time with the ECHL Maine Mariners. If DiPietro re-signs with the Boston organization, He’ll most likely head back to the B’s “AA” minor-pro affiliate in Portland, Maine, and be an emergency asset to the higher Providence club if a netminder that’s close by is needed at the AHL level. It should be interesting to see how the dominos fall in the Bruins goaltending depth and who will be challenging for an AHL roster spot behind the higher-ranking prospect Brandon Bussi.