Bruins Get Passing Grade For Free Agency Acquisitions By ESPN

Despite some polarizing opinions on the Bruins’ free agency additions, ESPN gave Boston’s front office a passing grade for their offseason moves.

ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton handed the Bruins a “B” grade, believing they added some key players while not losing any important pieces. The key players they included were forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly and Michael Eyssimont.

While the additions look to be bottom-six forwards, ESPN believes that some of the free agents could eventually move up to a top-six role.

“And yet, Boston didn’t address its largest need — a true top-six winger,” Clark and Shilton wrote. “Instead, GM Don Sweeney bolstered the Bruins’ bottom six with a number of players, some of whom probably will have to play higher in the lineup at some point anyway.”

The Bruins were docked a letter grade due to the front office seeming not to address their goal-scoring problem. Jeannot will add a physical addition to the lineup, but likely won’t add a scoring touch.

“The most eye-opening decision by Sweeney was to ink Jeannot to a five-year, $17 million contract,” ESPN wrote. “That’s a sizable investment in a third-line (at best) skater who will carry a $3.4 million AAV until he’s 33. He’s physical and feisty. But the Bruins need real scoring help (only two players on their roster finished last season with more than 20 goals), and it’s not clear that Sweeney was able to accomplish that so far.”

Sweeney does have $2,081,667 in cap space to play with, so the Bruins may not be done just yet with contracts.