By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins need to make some changes this offseason. If the team hopes to return to the playoffs for the second straight season and kick their retool into high gear, they’ll need to make significant roster changes. One area both fans and management alike have acknowledged as needing improvement is Boston’s blueline.
Heading into this offseason, there was some hope that Don Sweeney & co. could upgrade his defensive corps via free agency, saving his prospects and draft capital for a potentially bigger move. After the news out of Toronto this morning, that scenario is becoming even less of a reality.
The Toronto Maple Leafs just announced that they acquired the rights to free agent ‘big fish’ Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a fifth-round pick. That means the biggest and most appealing target is officially off the board for the Black and Gold.
The other defenseman the Bruins have been heavily linked to is Stanley Cup runner-up Rasmus Andersson. But multiple reports have surfaced that Andersson and the Knights have a ‘handshake’ deal in place to extend him to a long-term deal.
With two of their primary targets off the board, it’s time for management to pivot from their original plan. One player who may not have been on their radar, but should be now, is John Carlson.
The former first-round pick has been one of the most consistent blueline point producers in the NHL since he joined the league back in 2009-10 with the Washington Capitals. Over the last 17 seasons, the former first-round pick has amassed 170-615-785 in 1159 career regular-season games.
The 36-year-old spent 16 of his 17 seasons in Washington before being shipped off to Anaheim ahead of the 2025-26 NHL trade deadline. Even at 35, Carlson produced 14-46-60 across 71 games between the two organizations.
The 2018 Stanley Cup Champion would be an immediate upgrade over anything Boston has to offer on the right side of their blueline behind Charlie McAvoy. He would provide the B’s with an offensive spark they’ve so desperately missed from the blue line and help to stabilize their top-four while conceivably skating beside Hampus Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov.
The reason Carlson is such an interesting prospect for the Boston Bruins is that he can provide short-term help to the roster without handcuffing the team long-term from a cap perspective. At 36, Carlson is nearing the end of his tenure in the league, so there’s no need to offer him a bloated contract paying him for five-plus years down the line.
If Sweeney could lock up the former Capital on a two or three-year deal, it’d allow the team to kill two birds with one stone: make the team more competitive for the here and now while also allowing them to draft and develop their second-pairing right-shot defenseman of the future.
If the Bruins were to select a player like Tommy Bleyl or Xavier Villeneuve at this year’s draft, signing Carlson would give the organization time to let them marinate in the minors and jump to the NHL when they’re hopefully ready after two or three seasons. It’s not an ideal scenario, but given the options, it may be the best one the team has.
The question, of course, is whether or not the B’s are willing to pay Carlson what he believes he’s owed. They may have a leg up in negotiations because Carlson hails from Natick, MA, but when push comes to shove, they have to be willing to pay the player.
According to Marco D’Amico of RG Media, Carlson is looking for a short-term deal with an average annual value similar to the $8 million on his expiring contract. That may seem steep for an aging defenseman, but given the increasing cap and the barren nature of the market, it may be the safest bet for Boston.
If the Bruins want to return to the playoffs in a hyper-competitive Atlantic Division next season, they’re going to have to upgrade their blueline. It may not be the ideal scenario, but signing John Carlson could be their best chance to upgrade now and in the future.
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