Considering Kevin Shattenkirk’s identify has been linked to the Bruins for properly over the last decade, you figured there needed to be a union sooner or later.
And on the age of 34, the previous Boston University Terrier will lastly don the Black and Gold after signing a one-year, $1 million deal on Saturday. After profitable the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020, he’s spent the final three years with also-ran Anaheim Ducks. He’s excited to hitch a group that he believes has an opportunity to contend no matter whether or not Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci come again.
“It seems like there’s been opportunities and discussions along the way even back to when I was drafted. I thought Boston was actually where I was going to end up,” stated Shattenkirk, who was taken by Colorado with the 14th decide within the 2007 draft (the B’s reached for Zach Hamill on the eighth slot). “This year, Don Sweeney called us and laid out his thoughts on me and how I fit with the team and it just unfolded that way. It was pretty organic. The opportunity and the fit was really what appealed to me. Getting back to a team that’s a Stanley Cup contender was exciting. I’ve lost that over the last three years being in more of a rebuilding situation. Getting excited about that again is great and something every hockey player will tell you is the most important thing.”
Speaking through Zoom on Wednesday, Shattenkirk stated the uncertainty surrounding Bergeron and Krejci didn’t enter a lot into his pondering when he signed his cope with the B’s.
“I know what those two mean to the team. I’ve played against them for a long time and those are big holes to fill,” stated Shattenkirk. “You also look at the team they’ve put together over the last few years and some of the guys they’ve added and I think they’re fully capable of shouldering that weight. Patrice is obviously a cornerstone of this team and David is as well. At every point in a team’s progression, guys have to step up and play their roles and take over. If push comes to shove and that’s where we end up, it’s going to be on the shoulders of some of the other players on the team to take over that role. Certainly we’re a better team if those two come back. I’m sure there’s a lot of intangibles that they bring in the locker room that I’m not privy to, but I can tell you as an opponent how frightening it is to play against those guys and see them in the lineup.”
At this stage of his profession, the right-shooting Shattenkirk sees himself as a 3rd pair defenseman with the flexibility to pitch in on the second energy play and play up within the lineup in a pinch. But with 891 NHL video games beneath his belt and his identify on the Stanley Cup, he believes he may very well be of assist to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm.
“I talked to Jim Montgomery about this. Between Hampus and Charlie, there’s two really Norris-caliber defensemen there and they’re still growing into the expectations as players,” stated Shattenkirk, a five-time 40-plus level man earlier in his profession. “I think being able to be a sounding board for them, especially in that kind of a role, a power-play role or whatever, is something we discussed and and is expected of me. I’ve done it before and I think it would be similar to my role in Tampa when I went there for a year.”
From his time at BU, the native New Yorker received a reasonably good thought what it’s all about to be a Bruin. Aside from his three years on Commonwealth Avenue, he’s been again many occasions in the summertime for varied weddings and reunions. He was additionally on campus ending up his diploma in the summertime of 2011 when the B’s Cup parade was happening.
“Playing for the Bruins, I remember how sacred that was when I was in school,” stated Shattenkirk. “It’s a place that I really cherished when I was in college and still have a soft spot for.”….
One of the extra fascinating free agent signings by the B’s was that of middle Morgan Geekie, who had 9-19-28 totals whereas seeing 10:27 per sport for Seattle final 12 months. The 24-year-old proper shot centerman had 2-2-4 in 13 playoffs video games for the Kraken, who upset the defending champion Avalanche within the first spherical.
Sweeney has talked about him incomes an expanded position right here, particularly if the B’s lose their high two centermen.
“I think for me, I grew up a lot of as a player and I played a little bit in different situations throughout the year. I thought I had a good playoffs and any time you can add some playoff experience, it helps. It was good. I gained a lot of confidence and I’m excited about where my game is and I’m excited about where it can get to and grow,” stated Geekie….
Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic and newly acquired defenseman Ian Mitchell filed for arbitration earlier than Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
Both Swayman and Frederic have good instances for first rate pay bumps. Swayman, whose final deal had an AAV of $1.05 million, shared the Jennings Trophy with Linus Ullmark whereas posting a 24-6-4 document, .920 save share and a couple of.27 GAA. Frederic, in the meantime, broke out for a 17-goal season whereas additionally making $1.05 million. Mitchell, whose final deal carried a $1.775 million AAV, had 1-7-8 totals in 35 video games with Chicago.
Arbitration filings usually present the impetus for each groups to get a deal executed earlier than a listening to. Hearings will probably be held between July 20 and August 4….
The Bruins inked a few restricted free brokers on Wednesday, ahead Jakub Lauko and goalie Kyle Keyser.
The 23-year-old Lauko, who surprisingly made the opening night time roster and was an intermittent contributor to the B’s 65-win season, signed a two-year deal wht an annual cap hit of $787,500. The first 12 months is a two-way deal and the second 12 months is a one-way deal.
Keyser, 24, signed a one-year, two-way cope with an NHL cap hit of $775,000.
Source: www.bostonherald.com