By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
Don Sweeney has checked another restricted free agent off his off-season to-do list, as the Boston Bruins have signed forward Georgii Merkulov to a One-Year, Two-Way contract that carries an annual average value of $775,000 at the National Hockey League level. This signing is the fourth of the day for the B’s, having already signed Henri Jokiharju, Michael DiPietro, and Johnny Beecher to new deals earlier this morning.
Merkulov is coming off his third full season in the Bruins organization, where he split time between Boston and Providence. In six games with Boston, the Ryazan, Russia, native had one assist and was -1. In 59 American Hockey League games, Merkulov registered 54 points and had a -1 rating. In his ten career NHL games, he has not scored a goal.
In addition to signing Merkulov, the Bruins also announced that they will not be extending qualifying offers to seven players. Drew Bavaro, Trevor Kuntar, Jakub Lauko, Daniil Misyul, Ian Mitchell, Jaxon Nelson, and Oliver Wahlstrom will all be unrestricted free agents on July 1st. Of the seven players who did not receive offers, only Lauko, Mitchell, and Wahlstrom, appeared in Boston this past season.
The Bruins will enter July 1st with some holes in the forward group and some significant cap space. Their work is not yet done. Whether through free agency or trade, the Bruins must add more pieces to their team to contend for a playoff spot next season.
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