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The last time Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had available cash, he spent big. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the Bruins invested just under $25 million in Taylor Hall, Linus Ullmark, Nick Foligno, Erik Haula, Derek Forbort, Mike Reilly and Tomas Nosek.
A similar shopping spree could be coming. In fact, the Bruins could have nearly the same amount of money if Sweeney can execute his No. 1 summer priority.
Here’s how a dream offseason would unfold:
1. Ullmark is traded. Acquiring Martin Necas from the Carolina Hurricanes would be a big step in reinforcing the offense. But it’s unlikely the Bruins would have the additional assets required to make the deal happen.
But clearing Ullmark’s $5 million average annual value and receiving futures in return would be a satisfactory conclusion. Perhaps the New Jersey Devils, who have expressed interest in trading the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, would be a landing spot for the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner.
This would clear the way for Jeremy Swayman to be the No. 1 goalie in 2024-25 and Brandon Bussi to be the backup.
2. Swayman signs a long-term extension. This is the goal for both parties. Swayman likes being a Bruin. The team has a good trove of data following the playoffs to determine that Swayman, 25, is capable of ace performance. It is a far more productive outcome than Swayman signing an offer sheet.
On Aug. 16, 2021, Juuse Saros signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Nashville Predators. Saros was 26 years old. He had 155 games of NHL experience and a career .920 save percentage. Swayman has 144 NHL appearances and a .920 save percentage.
Using the Saros deal as a baseline, we’ll project a five-year, $30 million contract for Swayman. It gives him security but also a chance at another score. The Bruins get five years of relative certainty in net.
3. Jake DeBrusk re-signs. Surprise, surprise! Both sides have a change of heart after months of inaction. DeBrusk realizes he’s happy in Boston and comes off his price. The Bruins acknowledge they need his top-six presence and improve their offer. The settlement: five years, $25 million.
4. Elias Lindholm signs. The right-shot center did not make much of an impact with the Vancouver Canucks. As such, his price dips on the open market. The Bruins are more than happy to take advantage.
The 29-year-old is not a line-driving center. But he gives the Bruins another Charlie Coyle-like pivot who can impact play at both ends. Lindholm slots in as the No. 2 center behind Pavel Zacha, moving Coyle back to the third line.
The deal: seven years, $56 million.
5. Tyler Bertuzzi signs. It was a good fit the first time around. It should be just as good on Bertuzzi’s second spin. This time, the Bruins offer the greasy left-shot wing the term he wanted the first time. The 29-year-old, who sparred with Marchand during Round 1, is delighted to rejoin his fellow irritant — and perhaps even ride on his line.
The deal: four years, $19 million.
6. Brad Marchand signs an extension. There is no rush to re-sign the captain. Marchand is under contract for one more season.
But by giving him a new deal, the Bruins put Marchand at ease. There’s risk in signing Marchand, 36, to a multi-year extension. But the Bruins are confident that Marchand’s commitment to training reduces the risk of injury.
As for the left wing, a new contract optimizes his push not just to peak for the Bruins but also to compete for a Canadian roster spot in the 2026 Olympics. It would please Marchand to no end to play on an all-Nova Scotia line with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.
The contract: two years, $10 million.
7. Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov hit the gym hard. Perhaps the biggest reason Poitras cut his rookie season short was that undergoing shoulder surgery in February would set him up for a full training load in the summer. The right-shot center takes advantage of the timing and puts on the muscle needed to turn lost puck battles into wins.
Ditto for Lysell and Merkulov. By becoming stronger on the puck, all three put themselves in line for full-time NHL duty in 2024-25. The Bruins need their skill and cost efficiency on the varsity.
(Top photo of Tyler Bertuzzi and Brad Marchand: Jim Rassol / USA Today)
Local News
A Boston man is facing charges after he allegedly lunged at a Burger King employee, punched a customer, and then resisted arrest at a nearby MBTA station in East Boston, authorities announced Monday afternoon.
Patrick Donovan, 59, was charged July 1 with one count of assault and battery causing injury on an over 60 or disabled person, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault, and vandalism, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office said in a press release.
The charges stem from an incident shortly before 10 p.m. on June 30, when Boston police responded to a disturbance call from Burger King at 1 Maverick Square, Hayden’s office said.
A Burger King employee told officers that, after ordering his food and receiving it, Donovan yelled that he no longer wanted it and smacked a napkin holder off the counter. He then allegedly lunged at an employee and grabbed her by the arm, prosecutors said.
Donovan subsequently shoved a customer from behind and allegedly punched him in the face three times while calling him racial slurs, the DA’s office said.
Emergency medical services evaluated the customer for “visible lacerations to the forehead,” but the victim declined additional treatment, authorities said.
Donovan fled the restaurant following the assaults, and officers tracked him to the nearby MBTA Maverick Station, prosecutors said.
“While officers tried to detain Donovan inside the station, he swung at them with a closed fist but did not make contact,” Hayden’s office said, noting that Donovan made racial slurs towards the officers. “Donovan was placed into custody after a brief struggle.”
During his arraignment in the East Boston division of the Boston Municipal Court, Donovan pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance. Court records show he was also ordered to stay away from Maverick Square and Burger King.
He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 7 for a pre-trial hearing, prosecutors said.
Officers obtained security footage of both assaults. Authorities said the incident remains under investigation and could result in further charges.
“Our workers deserve to be safe in their workplaces and our consumers deserve to be safe in their shopping or dining places, without exception,” Hayden said in a statement. “Beyond that, none of our citizens or first responders should be subjected to racial slurs. These appalling words have no place in Suffolk County or anywhere else in our society.”
Attorney information for Donovan was not immediately available Monday afternoon.
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A rideshare driver suspected of assaulting a passenger at Boston Logan International Airport on Friday is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Leonard Bacon, 23, was found in Lowell, where he lives, and taken into custody on Sunday, Massachusetts State Police said. He’s charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Bacon, who’s due to face the charge in East Boston District Court, had an attorney who could speak for him.
Police didn’t share more details on what Bacon is accused of doing. They’ve previously said that the rideshare passenger entered Terminal C just before 5:30 a.m. and reported that they had been physically assaulted by their driver prior to being dropped off.
After the passenger got out of the vehicle, the rideshare driver left the scene, according to police, who alerted area law enforcement agencies to look out for the suspect. The victim was taken to a Boston-area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police added.
Police are looking for a rideshare driver who was reported to have assaulted a passenger right before drop-off at Boston’s Logan airport.
In a statement, Uber said they’ve checked in with the rider and removed the driver’s access to their rideshare platform.
“We are horrified by this reported violence,” a representative for the company said in a statement, adding, “Our specialized team has been in touch with law enforcement, and we will continue to do whatever we can to support their investigation.”
“She’s more than just a cyclist and an advocate,” Rose Frank, 36, who became friends with Gag in seventh grade, said. “Those were parts of her identity, but she’s such an amazing person in so many other ways, and we want to celebrate all of those ways.”
Gag, who grew up in Roslindale just minutes from the park, was a joyful and energetic child, said Mark Smith, 66, a neighbor who spoke at the event.
“She was the sweetest little girl with a big wide smile,” Smith said. “Whenever you were in her presence, you felt somehow special.”
Smith said Gag’s passion for giving back to her community likely came from her parents, Steve Gag and Laura Gang, longtime Roslindale residents who contributed greatly to developing the neighborhood. Steve Gag helped bring a farmers market to Adams Park, while Laura Gang was involved in the public library.
Gag’s loved ones said she grew up to become a generous person who cared deeply about her family and friends.
“Louisa showed up for people,” Molly Goodkind, 36, a childhood friend of Gag’s said during Sunday’s event. “We’ll never understand how she had time to be everyone’s go-to person.”
Gag, she said, would eagerly volunteer to cat-sit, even though she didn’t like cats. Another friend said she kept a spreadsheet of the birthdays of all the babies she knew.
“She was the person outside of my biological family who, if I needed something, she would be there in an instant,” Goodkind, who has known Gag since they were 2-years-old, said.
Gag’s friends said she was curious and remained open-minded, even though she held firm beliefs.
“Who do you know that was a vegetarian except for when it inconvenienced others? And of course, except for hot dogs, because according to Louisa, you can’t not have a hot dog at a barbecue,” Gag’s friend Danielle Shaked said, drawing laughs from the crowd, including Laura Gang, who dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled tissue.
Gag also found time for many hobbies, and was always trying new ones, her friends said. Beyond loving outdoor activities such as biking and hiking, she was passionate about sustainability and shopped secondhand or sewed her own clothes. She dabbled in photography, painting, and cooking.

Urban planning was one of Gag’s enduring passions, Goodkind said.
“In college, she created her own major,” she said. “I don’t remember exactly what she called it, but it was something like city and people.”
Gag attended college at the University of Rochester and later earned a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning and policy from Tufts University, according to her LinkedIn.
Before joining the city in 2022, Gag worked for LivableStreets Alliance, a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for increased safety, equity, and affordability. She also interned for Mayor Michelle Wu when Wu was a city councilor.
Wu attended Sunday’s event, but did not speak. Like many other attendees, she held a yellow sunflower, one of Gag’s favorites, as she tearfully listened to the tributes.
While Gag didn’t like being the center of attention, her friends said she would have been grateful for Sunday’s event.
“She would be completely honored to know that she has impacted so many people,” Frank said, her gaze drifting over the people gathered in the park.
Under a small tent nearby, attendees crowded around a folding table, filling out remembrance cards. Dozens of bikes leaned against the park’s fences while more lay scattered in the grass.
Allyson Chiu can be reached at allyson.chiu@globe.com. Follow her on X @_allysonchiu.
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