2024 NHL free agents: Four defensemen Bruins should target originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins’ priorities in NHL free agency should be finding a top-six center and a proven goal scorer on the wing, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a little depth on the blue line, too.
Just like starting pitching in baseball, you can never have enough quality defensemen.
The Bruins have a couple veteran defensemen able to become unrestricted free agents next week — Matt Grzelcyk, Derek Forbort and Kevin Shattenkirk. Even if all three of them sign elsewhere, there might not be a ton of room on the blue line because Parker Wotherspoon and Andrew Peeke could play larger roles next season. Mason Lohrei also needs more ice time to fulfill his exciting potential after a strong rookie campaign.
That said, adding another left-shot defenseman who can kill penalties and provide some physicality would be a nice pickup for Boston. An offensive minded player who can improve the power play would help as well.
Which free-agent defensemen should the B’s consider pursuing when the market opens July 1? Here are four potential fits.
Be sure to also check out our list of five free agent forwards who the Bruins should pursue.
Age: 33
2023-24 Stats: 8 G, 12 A in 77 GP
Dillon, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, is a defensive defenseman who could provide toughness, shot blocking and penalty killing if Derek Forbort is not re-signed.
The veteran d-man tallied 241 hits, which was the 11th-most of any player last season, while also blocking 111 shots. He played 2:11 per game on the penalty kill, too.
Dillon wouldn’t be expected to provide a ton of offense, but he’s not a liability at that end of the ice. He has tallied 20-plus points in three straight seasons. He’s also capable of playing 18-20 minutes per game, even in the playoffs, which is pretty valuable. Dillon has 83 games of playoff experience as well.
Age: 31
2023-24 Stats: 10 G, 46 A in 81 GP
Gostisbehere isn’t a great defensive player, but he’s still a very good offensive-minded defenseman who moves the puck well and gets shots through traffic. He tallied 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) in 81 games for the Red Wings last season. He also has scored 10-plus goals in three consecutive years. Gostisbehere remains an effective power-play quarterback, too, evidenced by his 29 points (two goals, 27 assists) with the man advantage last season.
The Bruins did not generate enough offense from their blue line last season — Charlie McAvoy was the only d-man to break 30 points — so it makes sense to pursue Gostisbehere if the front office wants to add a little more scoring to the mix.
Age: 32
2023-24 Stats: 9 G, 23 A in 80 GP
The Bruins were linked to Ekman-Larsson in the past before he was traded from the Coyotes to the Canucks in July of 2021. Ekman-Larsson signed a one-year contract with the Panthers last summer and helped them win the Stanley Cup earlier this week. He’s now able to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Swedish defenseman is no longer an elite player, but his offensive skill is still impressive. He is a good puck-mover, he can contribute to the power play and he helps create scoring chances for teammates. Ekman-Larsson has tallied 20-plus assists in 12 consecutive seasons. He’s capable of playing 20 minutes per game, too, which is important.
Ekman-Larsson wouldn’t move the needle a ton for the Bruins, but you could do a lot worse than him on the left side of the third pairing.
Age: 27
2023-24 Stats: 4 G, 16 A in 73 GP
Carrier is an underrated player who has kind of flown under the radar in Nashville, where he’s played with a lot of other really talented defensemen over the years (Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, etc.).
Carrier moves the puck well under pressure, which is something the Bruins have struggled to do effectively against the Panthers forecheck in back-to-back playoff runs. He’s also good at defending zone entries and is almost always well-positioned. These traits help him make up for his lack of size at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds. Carrier was a key part of the Predators’ penalty kill, too.
The Bruins might not need another right-shot on their blue line, but it’s not easy to find smart, defensive defensemen who can be trusted against elite competition. Carrier fits that description, and he’s still in his prime at 27 years old.
