Boston, MA

Bruins reportedly sign Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov at start of free agency

Published

2 days ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

Bruins

Lindholm’s two-way skills and Zadorov’s heft should shore up critical needs on Boston’s depth chart.

Elias Lindholm reportedly signed a seven-year deal with Boston. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

Don Sweeney was candid on Thursday when asked about Boston’s top needs entering free agency.

“We’d like to deepen the middle of the ice,” Boston’s general manager acknowledged. “So that’s where we’ve been focused to have those talks with our group, to say, ‘OK, who would be the guy?’ And hopefully make the pitch at the right time that we could add a player like that, of that nature. And we’ll continue to look to strengthen our back end and complement the group we have there.”

Given Sweeney’s offseason to-do list, it came as little surprise that Boston reportedly shored up both the center position and blue line shortly after NHL free agency commenced on Monday afternoon.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Bruins have signed center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov — add defensive fortitude up front and some heft on the blue line.

According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Lindholm’s deal with Boston is for seven years and $7.5 million per season, while Zadorov’s deal is for six years with an annual cap hit of $5 million.

This will mark the third team that both Lindholm and Zadorov have played on together — with the duo also sharing a dressing room with both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Lindholm has been linked to the Bruins for some time, with the 29-year-old pivot holding plenty of appeal as a 200-foot center capable of impacting the game in a variety of ways.

The Swedish pivot has held court as one of the better two-way pivots in the game for the last few seasons — posting four seasons of 50+ points in his career while also finishing second in voting for the 2021-22 Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward.

The 2023-24 season was a down year for Lindholm in terms of his baseline production, especially after getting slotted to the wing with Vancouver. He finished with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) over 75 games, but did elevate his play in the postseason (10 points in 13 games) while dominating in faceoffs all year (56.4 percent).

Given his hefty price tag, there are questions about whether or not Lindholm is really a bonafide top-line center — or more of an effective second-line, 200-foot stalwart.

But on Boston’s roster, he will quickly take over as the team’s top center — allowing the Bruins to either push Pavel Zacha to the wing or slot Charlie Coyle further down the depth chart.

He might be more of a 60-point player, but a full season stapled next to David Pastrnak could help Lindholm recoup the elite scoring touch he displayed in 2021-22 with Calgary (42 goals, 82 points).

While Lindholm will provide more refined, two-way player up front for Boston, Zadorov will land plenty of welts on the back end.

The 29-year-old Zadorov is an already imposing figure at 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds — and sure plays like it.

The Russian-born blueliner is one of the most physical players in the league, posting six seasons with at least 175 hits on his resume. Zadorov played arguably his best hockey for Calgary and Vancouver in 2023-24 — scoring six goals and 20 points over 75 games while landing 177 hits and 68 blocks.

He further elevated his stock during the postseason for the Canucks — scoring four goals and eight points over 13 games while clearing opposing skaters out of Grade-A ice.

Zadorov rounds out the left side of Boston’s defense alongside Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Bruins envision him as more of a third-pairing regular or a possible top-pairing partner next to Charlie McAvoy.

With Lindholm and Zadorov accounting for a combined $12.75 million cap hit, the Bruins might have to dive in the bargain bin for more scoring help this offseason — with a majority of their remaining camp space likely allocated toward Jeremy Swayman’s pending pay raise.

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Boston, MA

Boston College Hockey Forward Ryan Leonard Confirms Return For Sophomore Season

Published

2 mins ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Boston College Hockey Forward Ryan Leonard Confirms Return For Sophomore Season

Boston College hockey forward Ryan Leonard confirmed that he will still be returning to Chestnut Hill for his sophomore season.

The 2023 Washington Capitals first-round pick discussed his decision during media availability on Wednesday morning and shared that the Caps offered him an entry-level contract after clinching a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“My whole plan the whole time was two years and then come here, but I had no idea they were actually going to offer me,” said Leonard. “It all happened so fast. I don’t really know if I was completely prepared for it.”

Leonard talked about when he was offered the contract and that he stayed up for most of the night weighing the decision and discussing it with his brother John before coming to a conclusion.

“It was whatever I wanted to do,” said Leonard. “Made a big spreadsheet, notes, whatever you want to call it. Pros and cons of both, but ultimately, I think I made the right decision.”

The Amherst, Mass., native also said that fellow teammate Will Smith’s decision to sign an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks did not impact his choice.

“No. I’m myself,” said Leonard. “He’s him. You want the best for him, and it’s not about individuals. It’s about the team, and I want to be a part of the team that wins Boston College another national championship. Not really ready to leave yet.”

Leonard had a stellar freshman campaign. In his 41 games played, he tallied 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 points, 168 shot attempts for a .185 percentage, and six game-winning goals.

The 19-year-old is the second Eagles hockey player to announce his return to Boston College for his sophomore season. Gabe Perreault shared his decision to return during Rangers media availability on Tuesday.

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Boston, MA

‘The future’s bright:’ Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark react to All-Star nod

Published

7 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

‘The future’s bright:’ Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark react to All-Star nod

LAS VEGAS — For the first time since 2007, the Indiana Fever have three All-Stars on its roster.

Rookie guard Caitlin Clark, second-year center Aliyah Boston, and seventh-year guard Kelsey Mitchell were named All-Stars on Tuesday night, taking up three of the 12 spots on Team WNBA.

Tamika Catchings, Tammy Sutton-Brown, and Anna DeForge were the last trio of Fever All-Stars in a single season. That 2007 Fever team went 21-13, making the Eastern Conference Finals.

“It’s a really, really big thing for our franchise, but I think more importantly, kind of shows like where we are as players, and what we aspire to be individually,” Mitchell said. “I think any great player, any great competitor has an All-Star somewhere down a list, and you know, we put in a lot of work, so it feels good.”

This year’s All-Star Game, which will be in Phoenix on July 20, is Team USA vs. Team WNBA. Team USA, which will represent the U.S. in the Paris Olympics, will use the All-Star Game as an exhibition.

So, there were technically only 12 open spots to be an All-Star — the other 12 were already taken up with WNBA players on Team USA.

Voting for All-Stars came 50% from fans, 25% from media, and 25% from players, and players on Team USA were able to get votes. The top-10 vote getters automatically became All-Stars, regardless Team USA status. The next 36 top vote-getters that were not on the Olympic team went to league coaches, and they filled out the rest of Team WNBA.

It’s the second consecutive all-star nods for Boston and Mitchell, who went to the 2023 All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Boston thinks it’s especially meaningful for Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick who is an All-Star for the first time.

More: With Clark, Boston, Mitchell, Indiana Fever have three All-Stars for first time since 2007

“I think it just goes to show the talent that we have on this team,” Boston said. “It’s really amazing to be able to play together as an All-Star, but also I think this is really exciting for Caitlin being a rookie coming in and just having an impact the way that she does.”

All three Fever players will be on Team WNBA. Indiana is the only team to more than two players on that team. Las Vegas has four players on the Olympic roster, while Phoenix has three.

“It’s cool, obviously, for myself to accomplish this in my rookie year,” Clark said. “I’m just lucky to be with these two. … It’s big for our franchise, too, like, I think it just shows the talent behind us, and slowly just putting that together. The future’s bright.”

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