By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism
That didn’t take long. Less than thirty minutes into free agency, Don Sweeney has already burnt through $12.75 million in cap space, signing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadarov to respective contracts. Lindholm’s deal looks to be seven years at $7.75 million, while Zadorov is inked for six years at $5 million, per The Atheltic’s Chris Johnston. The Bruins have roughly $11.21 million left to spend.
That’s quite the splash for Sweeney and the Boston Bruins, addressing two key needs on day one of free agency. Lindholm, 29, is the top-six center the Bruins desperately needed, who will slot right into Boston’s lineup to likely play alongside David Pastrnak. The 6’6″, 248-pound Zadorov, adds some bite to the blue line.
After rumors circulated the trade-talk airwaves around the 2023-24 trade deadline that connected the center to Boston, Lindholm is finally a Bruin. Lindholm posted just 12 points in 26 games with the Vancouver Canucks after being dealt by the Calgary Flames, but he brings a serious offensive knack to Boston. In the 2021-22 season, he put up 42-40-82 and was a whopping +61. He’ll fit seamlessly into a Bruins lineup yearning for offense.
Zadarov, also leaving Vancouver, is a perfect addition to Boston’s top-four defensive core. His efforts don’t necessarily appear on the stat sheet—registering just 5-9-14 last season—but they are certainly felt by the opposition. Zadorov is a force to be reckoned with on the back end, not afraid to throw his weight around on all points of the ice. Amid a second-round exit to the Florida Panthers this spring, size and physicality are two areas the Bruins were lacking. Zadorov checks both boxes.
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