The Bruins could look to add this Hurricanes defenseman this summer.
The Boston Bruins are entering the offseason with a ton of cap space. Because of this, there’s no question that they will work hard to land a top-six center. However, this is not the only area where they should improve this summer.
The left side of the Bruins’ defense will likely have some departures, as Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort both have expired contracts. There is also a general expectation that they won’t be back. As a result, the Bruins have Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, and Parker Wotherspoon as their three left-shot defensemen with contracts for next season.
There is no question that the Bruins could use another legitimate top-four left-shot defenseman on their roster. As a result, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa named Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei as a potential target for the Bruins.
Skjei, 30, is one of the top defensemen who could hit the free-agent market this offseason. The Minnesota native is a proven top-four defenseman who plays a steady defensive game and contributes offensively from the point.
Skjei is coming off an excellent season with the Hurricanes, where he posted 13 goals to go along with a career-high 47 points. He was also fantastic in the postseason, as he had one goal and nine points – which led all Hurricanes defensemen. The Bruins could surely use a defenseman who does a bit of everything like Skjei on their roster.