Boston, MA
Five players Bruins could trade in offseason to create salary cap space
The Boston Bruins went all-in during the 2022-23 NHL season to chase a Stanley Cup title.
They traded a ton of draft picks to acquire Tyler Bertuzzi, Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov before the March 3 trade deadline. They signed veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to one-year contracts that will result in overages applied to their 2023-24 salary cap.
After a stunning first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers, the bill has come due for the Bruins. The roster will look different next season.
“Our cap situation we leveraged a little bit — everybody knows our overage at $4.5 million — so we have some constraints, as do several teams around the league. Our goal this season was to put the absolute best roster we could put together and try to take a legitimate run, and we failed, no question,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said at a press conference Tuesday.
“We have to pay that forward a little bit. That might mean we’re instituting younger players, it might mean roster changes which we would like to make. That might mean I might be able to sign one of those three players (acquired before the trade deadline) or other unrestricted players. We have to address the two RFAs in Trent Frederic and Jeremy Swayman, which we’ll do. Roster changes are likely coming. We’re not going to be the same team.”
The salary cap is expected to rise by just $1 million to a ceiling of $83.5 million for the 2023-24 campaign. The Bruins have more than 10 players from their playoff roster eligible for unrestricted or restricted free agency this summer. Superstar right wing David Pastrnak’s salary cap hit is rising from $6.67 million to $11.25 million with his eight-year extension starting in 2023-24.
The Bruins have limited salary space (less than $10 million) and lots of guys to re-sign. If Bergeron and/or Krejci retire, center immediately becomes an area in need of an upgrade.
Which players could/should the Bruins explore the possibility of trading this offseason to free up much-needed cap space? Here are five names worth considering. (All salary info via CapFriendly.)
Taylor Hall, LW
2022-23 Stats: 16 G, 20 A in 61 GP
Contract: $6 million cap hit through 2024-25
Age: 31
Hall had a fantastic first-round series against the Panthers with five goals and three assists in seven games. It was a huge luxury to have a player of Hall’s caliber on the third line, which really showed the impressive depth of Boston’s roster.
Hall will be 32 years old in November. He has dealt with plenty of injuries in his career, including a lower-body injury that forced him to miss 20 games late in the 2022-23 regular season. Hall also was a little inconsistent offensively this past season and had separate goal droughts of 15, eight and seven games. He has not scored more than 20 goals in a season since 2017-18.
It could be really tough for the Bruins to re-sign left wing Tyler Bertuzzi, who they acquired from the Red Wings before the March 3 trade deadline. He is three years younger than Hall and proved to be an excellent fit for the Bruins, especially with David Pastrnak. Bertuzzi is a quality goal scorer, an excellent playmaker, contributes to special teams and does the dirty work to win puck battles in the greasy areas of the ice. He is going to be a coveted player in a year where the free agent class isn’t very strong. Moving Hall and his $6 million cap hit would give the Bruins more flexibility to potentially bring back Bertuzzi or some of their other UFAs.
Based on the fact that the Bruins have just seven forwards under contract for next season right now, trading a defenseman and not Hall would be preferred.
Hall has a no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to submit a 10-team no-trade list in 2023-24 and 2024-25, per CapFriendly.
Matt Grzelcyk, D
2022-23 Stats: 4 G, 22 A in 75 GP
Contract: $3.687 million cap hit through 2023-24
Age: 29
Matt Grzelcyk is a very good defenseman. He’s a great skater, he’s good at igniting the transition up ice, he creates scoring chances at 5-on-5 and the power play, etc. Removing him from the lineup for Game 6 against the Panthers and putting Connor Clifton in his place was one of the biggest mistakes Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery made in Round 1.
The Bruins need help up front, and especially at center. The blue line is one area where the Bruins have enough depth to trade away a quality player like Grzelcyk and still be fine. Therefore, moving Grzelcyk for cap relief or as part of a package to acquire an impact forward is a deal worth considering.
Another factor is Grzelcyk has one more year remaining on his contract. If the Bruins don’t view Grzelcyk as part of their future plans, it makes sense to trade him and not risk losing the asset for nothing in free agency next summer.
Derek Forbort, D
2022-23 Stats: 5 G, 7 A in 54 GP
Contract: $3 million cap hit through 2023-24
Age: 31
Forbort is a solid defensive defenseman. He blocks shots, he takes on tough defensive assignments, he battles in the dirty areas of the ice and he was a key component of the Bruins’ No. 1 ranked penalty kill last season. The PK was where Forbort really shined, but the B’s showed they could kill penalties at a high rate even when he wasn’t in the lineup. Boston had the league’s top penalty kill (93.3 percent) during the 15 games Forbort missed to end the regular season.
Trading Forbort for a draft pick or a prospect and replacing him with Jakub Zboril on the left side of the blue line would make sense. Zboril is not as strong defensively as Forbort but he brings more offensive skill to the lineup. The cap savings would be worth it.
Forbort’s no-trade clause allows him to submit a 3-team no-trade list, per CapFriendly.
Mike Reilly, D
2022-23 Stats: 0 G, 1 A in 10 GP with Boston Bruins; 7 G, 19 A in 36 GP with Providence Bruins
Contract: $3 million cap hit through 2023-24
Age: 29
The Bruins were not able to move Reilly this past season. As a result, his contract was buried in the AHL. Now that Reilly is in the final year of his deal, maybe it will be a little easier to trade him. Reilly isn’t a bad player by any means. He skates well, he can move the puck up ice and his playmaking skills are above average. Teams can do worse than Reilly on their third pairing.
Finding a new home for Reilly needs to be a priority for the Bruins this summer, even if they have to retain salary or attach a draft pick to get a deal done.
Linus Ullmark, G
2022-23 Stats: 40-6-1, .938 SV%, 1.89 GAA
Contract: $5 million cap hit through 2024-25
Age: 29
Trade the likely Vezina Trophy winner?
It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
Ullmark’s stellar 2022-23 season kind of came out of nowhere. Sure, he has been a solid goaltender for most of his career, including his first season in Boston in 2021-22. But no one could have imagined that he would win the goaltending triple crown by leading the league in victories, save percentage and goals against average.
What are the chances he replicates his 2022-23 regular season success — or something similar — going forward? It’s possible, but the odds probably aren’t great. However, the real reason to consider trading Ullmark is the Bruins cannot afford to spend upwards of $9-10 million of cap space on goaltending when they have other glaring roster needs to address.
Backup goalie Jeremy Swayman is a restricted free agent this summer. He could make around $4 million per season in his next contract. The three-year, $12 million deal that Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger signed as an RFA last September is a good template for Swayman.
If we assume Swayman’s next deal includes a $4 million cap hit, that would result in the Bruins spending $9 million on their goalies. The number of teams that spent $9 million or more of cap space on their goaltenders this past season was less than five.
The Bruins have two No. 1 caliber goalies in Ullmark and Swayman. They can afford to move a player of Ullmark’s caliber and still get top-tier goaltending. Swayman is no fluke. We have a large enough sample size that shows he’s capable of being a top 10 goalie. Only five goaltenders have a better save percentage than Swayman since the start of 2021-22. He’s also five years younger than Ullmark and fits the age timeline of the franchise’s core pieces such as David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, etc.
Ullmark’s no-movement clause expires at the end of the 2022-23 league year. The final two years of his contract include a no-trade clause where he can submit a list of teams (16 in 2023-24, 15 in 2024-25) he won’t accept a trade to join, per CapFriendly.
If the Bruins did trade Ullmark, they would need to find a veteran backup for Swayman. Brandon Bussi and Kyle Keyser aren’t ideal NHL backups given their lack of experience. Signing a cheap veteran backup would be the best way to go in that scenario.
Boston, MA
Boston doctor Derrick Todd accused of sexually assaulting 200 patients charged with rape
A prominent Boston-area doctor accused in several lawsuits of sexually assaulting more than 200 former patients was indicted by a grand jury on rape charges.
Dr. Derrick Todd allegedly assaulted two women during examinations in December 2022 and June 2023 at the Charles River Medical Associates in Framingham, Mass., the Middlesex County District Attorney announced Thursday.
Todd, a rheumatologist, appeared in Middlesex Superior Court Friday after he handed himself over to police the previous night.
The two women had either a pelvic exam or pap smear with the doctor when the alleged assault occurred, NBC Boston reported.
The patients alleged the exams went beyond “normal.”
One of the women endured enough pain for her to scream at Todd to stop but the doctor didn’t listen and continued the exam.
The second patient alleged she didn’t give Todd consent to perform the specific examination but the doctor went ahead despite the rejection, the outlet reported.
Todd pleaded not guilty to the two rape charges.
He was held on a $10,000 bail.
A judge ordered Todd to surrender his passport, not have any contact with his alleged victims, and give up all medical licenses.
Claims of abuse from Todd date back to 2010 but only surfaced in 2023 after Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital received anonymous complaints.
Todd is the former chief of clinical rheumatology at the Boston hospital but resigned after 14 years in 2023 when two other physicians questioned the appropriateness of pelvis exams for his rheumatology patients, the Boston Globe reported.
Over 200 of Todd’s former patients accused him of performing unnecessary pelvic floor therapy, breast examinations, testicular examinations, and rectal examinations.
The accusers include over 200 women and several men between teenagers and 60-year-olds.
Attorneys for 180 of the former patients say the two rape charges are just the start of the doctor’s legal battle.
“It’s just the beginning of the criminal case against Dr. Todd, but it does help validate the civil claims that Lubin & Meyer is pursuing on behalf of so many of his former patients,” Attorney William Thompson said. “Fundamentally, it’s about a doctor abusing his position. And taking advantage of patients who put their trust in him for his own personal sexual gratification.”
Todd voluntarily ceased his medical practice in Massachusetts in September 2023.
The announcement was made in a letter to the Board of Registration in Medicine.
The class-action lawsuit against Todd also listed the hospital as a defendant for allegedly knowing about the abuse and failing to stop it.
Todd was fired from the hospital in July 2024.
With Post wires
Boston, MA
O’shae Brissett, part of Boston Celtics championship, reportedly signs with Long Island Nets
O’shae Brissett, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in June but hasn’t played professionally since, has reportedly signed an NBA G-League level contract with the Brooklyn Nets G League team, the Long Island Nets.
Bobby Manning was first with the news Friday morning…
Sources tell me Oshae Brissett signed a G-League contract with the Long Island Nets
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) January 17, 2025
The 6’7” 26-year-old Brissett, a defensive specialist, will join Long Island having last played for the Boston Celtics as a part of the NBA Championship squad last year.
In his defining moment of the title run, Brissett was inserted as a small ball center by Boston coach Joe Mazzulla in Game 2 of the Celtics-Pacers conference title series. It was his first playoff minutes, but he played a critical role defensively, picking up three steals and finishing a +15 in his 12 minutes on the court.
“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Mazzulla said after that game. “Just gave us, I think he had a dunk, got a steal, got us out in transition with a couple [of] rebounds. So just, he plays with such a high level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us.”
In his 55 games with the Celtics in the 2023-24 season, Brissett started just one and played roughly 11.5 minutes per game. He averaged 3.7 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. He shot 44.4% from the field, 27.3% from beyond the arc. He adds yet another NBA veteran presence to the young Long Island Nets team with .
Brissett played three years with the Indiana Pacers, his best year coming in 2021-22 when he played 67 games, 25 starts, averaging 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.
However, he hasn’t played since the NBA Finals. Brissett, who turned 26 years old in June, declined a $2.5 million dollar player option with Boston at the end of June. He hoped that he could get more by testing the free-agent market. Similarly, the Toronto native dropped out of the Canadian national team, coached by Jordi Fernandez, to focus his free agency. However, offers or at least offers he liked never materialized and he remained a free agent until Friday.
Brissett’s rebounding and size will give Long Island some added depth, and in Long Island’s case, a potential starter. Brissett always intended to pursue a return to the NBA, and his signing with the Long Island Nets is a first step to getting back to that dream.
Brissett also re-unites with Kendall Brown who had been his Indiana Pacers teammate two years ago.
Boston, MA
Magic Look to Bounce Back With More Energy at Celtics
BOSTON – Over two weeks ago, after the Orlando Magic’s latest rally fell short in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, fourth-year guard Jalen Suggs called out a worrying trend among his team in hopes of nipping it in the bud.
“We’re putting ourselves in these holes and spotting teams leads, then having to fight, scratch, claw just to get back in the game and give ourselves a chance,” Suggs said on New Year’s Day.
The Magic had developed a resilience that meant they were never out of games, no matter the score. Complimentary, energy-filled basketball helped Orlando do the fighting, scratching and clawing to get back into those games.
Did it always result in a victory? Not quite. But the relentless attitude and constant effort – especially for a team so handicapped by its shrinking list of healthy players – was commendable, and has been embedded in the Magic’s DNA.
In the rare occasions when it doesn’t show face, though, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley says it’s “glaring.” That was the case when the Milwaukee Bucks delivered a 29-point shellacking to Orlando, marking the most lopsided loss for the Magic this year.
“There was an energy and effort issue,” said Mosley postgame.
Wendell Carter Jr. would later say his team was “out-physicaled” and made life too easy for their opponent.
Then, in the locker room, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters Orlando got its “a– whooped,” and Paolo Banchero told reporters, “[A]s a group top to bottom, we’ve got to be more ready to play. We’re down a lot of bodies, but we can’t make excuses and we’ve just got to come out and play for each other.”
To Banchero’s point, the Magic’s 124 missed games from players due to injury or illness haven’t been a catch-all, safety-net excuse when the team is struggling. Instead, their aforementioned resilience built an identity that helped them generate results throughout the entire first half of the season, regardless of available contributors.
It justifies Mosley’s claims that the lackluster performance vs. the Bucks “wasn’t Orlando Magic basketball. Not even close.” Because although that was the case in Game 42, through the first 41 games, it wasn’t.
“It’s something that you can learn from, and you have to be able to bounce back, which this group has always done,” Mosley said.
With a national audience watching along, Orlando (0-4 in national TV games this season) pays its only visit to TD Garden Friday evening, squaring off with the defending champion Boston Celtics for the second of three matchups this season. The Magic host the 18-time champs once more in April to close the Kia Center’s regular season slate.
Boston has dropped three of their last five outings, including an uncharacteristic loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in Scotiabank Arena. The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum due to a last-minute spat with an illness in the Magic’s Dec. 23 home win, but Orlando was shorthanded as well. Of their top four scorers, only Suggs was available.
“We beat them last time at home, so I’m sure they haven’t forgot that,” Paolo Banchero said in Orlando’s locker room Wednesday. “They have a hell of a home atmosphere [and] home crowd, so they’ll be ready to play in front of their fans.”
Heading into Friday’s tilt, where both teams are eager to wipe the slate clean from their mid-week malaise, Boston reports a clean bill of health. Now, only Banchero is available of the Magic’s top scorers, and other key reserves are unavailable as well.
MORE: Magic-Celtics Injury Report
Those who are available, however, say they shouldn’t have any issue getting back to their standard.
“Playing against teams like this is what hoopers get up for,” Anthony Black said. “Definitely getting up for this game. It’s always fun playing against some good hoopers, so I think we’re up and I think we’ll be ready to bring energy come game time.”
“You don’t like losing games, especially when you get your butt kicked,” Mosley said, “but you also have to know you have to bounce back, can’t hang your head, be ready to go and move on the next game.”
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