Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney must make soaring forward an off-season priority..
Will the Bruins and Morgan Geekie find common ground on a contract this off-season?
This off-season is going to be an off-season with a lot of eyes on it for the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. Look for the Bruins’ GM to be active in free agency and possibly the trade market when it comes to building a roster that will look to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025-26. The biggest decisions will surround Boston’s own restricted and unrestricted free agents.
One RFA who is going to pick up a very good payday is Morgan Geekie. Since inking a two-year, $4 million contract two summers ago. Talk about a steal of a deal two seasons later after the former Seattle Kraken forward put up back-to-back career highs in goals with 17 last season, and he’s up to 31 after a goal in Thursday night’s 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Has Morgan Geekie priced himself out of Boston?
Raise your hand if you thought Geekie was going to score 48 goals over two seasons with the Black and Gold with two games remaining in the season. Yeah, I didn’t think so. Neither did I. However, here we are. Geekie has turned to the second most valuable forward for the Black and Gold behind David Pastrnak. Since interim coach Joe Sacco put Geekie, Elias Lindholm, and Pastrnak together late in the season, the returns have been good.
Have they been good enough to enter next season as the Bruins’ first line? Possibly, but to find out the answer to that question, Sweeney needs to get a new deal done with Geekie. Easier said than done. Look at how negotiations went with Jeremy Swayman last season. I’m not saying that Geekie is going to get Swayman money, but as a restricted free agent, Boston will give him an offer sheet, which keeps his negotiation rights with Boston.
There are a couple of ways Sweeney could go. He could go with a short-term deal that is a prove-it deal that he will continue to put up close to the numbers he has. The other option is committing long-term with a deal and taking a giant risk in that scenario.
Right now, Geekie has a $2 million AAV, and that is expected to go up to $4 million or $5 million? I’m sure this isn’t going to be a small bump in pay of a million or so. Where does Geekie and his reps see his next deal, and where do Sweeney and the front office see his next deal? Whatever it is, Bruins fans hope it’s in Boston beginning next season.
Lightning Make Nikita Kucherov Announcement After Red Wings Game..
The Tampa Bay Lightning saluted Nikita Kucherov for a major career milestone Friday night, but the celebration came during a frustrating 4–3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena. The Lightning were quick to post a celebratory message on X, marking his 800th regular-season NHL game with a graphic reading, “800 in Bolts blue Congrats, Kuuuuuuch!” Following Friday’s appearance, Kucherov ranks sixth all-time in games played for the Bolts and is just five games away from matching Alex Killorn’s mark of 805 to enter the top five in the franchise leaderboard. Kucherov, who entered Wayne Gretzky territory on Monday, was held off the scoresheet in his milestone game, only the second time in the last 14 contests he didn’t register a point.