3 players Bruins could move to create even more cap space this offseason

This offseason, the Boston Bruins have a lot of money to spend.

According to PuckPedia, the Bruins are expected to start the summer with $26.2 million in cap space, whether this is due to Don Sweeney clearing away multiple contracts during Boston’s trade-deadline firesale or the NHL’s skyrocketing salary ceiling.

Sweeney and his staff should have the financial flexibility to add some quality via free agency or trade after Boston’s terrible 2024–25 season, in which the team struggled to both bury Grade-A chances down the other end of the ice and snuff them out.

However, as alluring as that cap space may seem, it will probably evaporate quickly, particularly in this NHL cap era of rapid expansion.

Boston’s internal moves, including signing Mason Lohrei and Morgan Geekie, who are restricted free agents, will probably take away some of that spending power. Additionally, under the current cap structure, Boston may only be able to sign one or two genuinely game-changing superstars due to the going prices for top players on the market.

At least $20 million in cap space is currently being used by 15 NHL teams. Mitch Marner, the top dog in free agency, could easily make $13–14 million annually with all that money to spend (and the cap is predicted to rise much further in the upcoming years).

In order to improve its weak offense going ahead, Boston would benefit from middle-six wingers like Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers. However, on the current market, any winger could easily fetch more than $8 million annually.

The cost would be comparable if Boston sought to acquire a tough, right-handed defenseman like Aaron Ekblad.

With just 14 players now under contract on the active roster, it seems inevitable that the $26.2 million will run out sooner rather than later given the Bruins’ plethora of needs this summer and the frequency with which large contracts will be awarded.

Following disappointing results this past season, Boston would be well advised to avoid using all of that cap space in free agency. However, if the Bruins manage to get another deal or two off the books this offseason, they might also give themselves some more freedom.

Boston might not be able to sign a Boeser and Ehlers in the same offseason if they are unable to free up an additional $4-6 million before free agency. However, it might make the difference between Boston being able to sign a third-line regular who is legitimate and someone who isn’t, like a PTO candidate or another cheap candidate.

It’s safe to say that Boston needs all the assistance it can get.

The following three players are potential candidates the Bruins may try to cut in order to free up more cap money.

Joonas Korpisalo ($3 million AAV, signed through 2027-28)

In April, Sweeney said that the Bruins ought to have given Korpisalo more playing time this season rather than allowing a struggling Jeremy Swayman to play the majority of the minutes in goal.

Korpisalo performed as anticipated in his debut season with the Bruins (11-10-3,.893 save percentage), considering how vulnerable Boston’s defense was the previous campaign.

Korpisalo might be a reliable backup goalkeeper if Marco Sturm and the Bruins improve their defensive performance. If Boston decides to give the 31-year-old goalie a more regular workload than in 2024–25 (27 games), Swayman will have more time to relax going forward.

It can be argued, however, that the Bruins should look for a buyer for Korpisalo’s deal and use a less expensive alternative as Swayman’s backup going forward because cap space is limited and Swayman is still anticipated to be the team’s top goalkeeper.

The Bruins must have a strong tandem if they plan to spend $11.25 million on their goalkeeper rotation over the next three years. A $3 million backup for a 26-year-old goalie making a lot of money isn’t really feasible unless the Bruins are going to realistically carve out 35–40 games for Korpialo going forward.

Naturally, not every team has a player like Swayman (at least, the one that Bruins supporters watched from 2020–24) as a potential franchise piece. Because of this, a number of teams with a lot of cap room may be interested in signing Korpisalo as a backup goalkeeper or as a cheap starter.

If they believe Korpisalo has more potential than Elvis Merzlikins, they might consider him for a team like Columbus, which is now experiencing growth. The Ducks might be better off adding someone like Korpisalo as a backup to Lukas Dostal if they are able to locate a replacement for John Gibson.

Boston might have to keep some of Korpisalo’s $3 million yearly cap hit in order to persuade a team to accept the bulk of that contract because they probably wouldn’t get anything in return.

However, if the Bruins decide to utilize a less expensive backup behind Swayman, such Michael DiPietro, the additional $2–2.5 million earned over the following three seasons could be reallocated elsewhere on Boston’s roster.

Casey Mittelstadt ($5.75 million AAV, signed through 2026-27)

It’s difficult to predict Mittelstadt’s performance on the 2025–26 roster.

The 26-year-old center marked a departure from Boston’s prior roster-building endeavors when the Bruins effectively traded Charlie Coyle for Mittelstadt (along with prospect Will Zellers and a 2025 second-round choice).

Mittelstadt was the higher-skilled pivot that the Bruins were looking to add to their team, particularly during a season when offensive production was scarce, while Coyle was more of a puck-possession, two-way center.

In his initial stint with Boston, Mittelstadt didn’t exactly fill the stat sheet (six points, minus-17 rating in 18 games). Of course, Vinni Lettieri and Cole Koepke were also his most frequent linemates to end the season.

With a young center in Mittelstadt who has two seasons with 50 points or more on his CV, the Bruins may believe there is more. Mittelstadt’s contract might prove to be a decent deal if he develops into a reliable playmaking 2C and the Bruins decide to sign a scoring winger like Boeser, a fellow Minnesota native, in free agency.

However, Mittelstadt might potentially be offered as a trade asset this summer if there are concerns about his play or if the Bruins simply think they can utilize that money somewhere else.

The cap savings stand as Boston’s greatest reward, but like Korpisalo, it’s unclear if the Bruins would truly get something of high value for an unproven product like Mittelstadt.

Mittelstadt’s playmaking ability and upside may appeal to the Bruins. However, Mittelstadt might be unnecessary on a team that already has an abundance of middle-six centers on its roster if they are able to add a player like Ehlers, who could score 30 goals, by renegotiating his deal.

Pavel Zacha ($4.75 million AAV through 2026-27)

Zacha is the kind of dynamic middle-six player (on a fantastic salary) who many clubs would love to have taken out of Boston’s hands if the Bruins are looking to both free up cap space and acquire a valuable asset in a trade.

The Athletic’s mock draftIn a deal based on 28-year-old Zacha, Boston even managed to acquire the Canucks’ first-round pick (No. 15) earlier this month.

The Bruins should have little trouble finding a market for Zacha if their main goal is to acquire additional draft picks.

Zacha still has a lot to offer Boston, both now and possibly in the future, even though the Bruins may be a few years away from becoming a serious contender again.

Since joining the squad in 2022–2023 and scoring more than 50 points in two of his three seasons with the Bruins, Zacha has been a versatile mainstay in the lineup. This past season, he participated in all 82 games, collecting 14 goals and 47 points despite occasionally being limited by a persistent knee issue.

Zacha’s versatility as a center and winger makes him a valuable addition to Sturm’s team going ahead.

In terms of both saving money and possibly acquiring another first-round selection (or blue-chip prospect), Zacha might be Boston’s best option this summer.

However, his presence would be missed on a Bruins club that, following a significant roster upheaval, also needs some steadiness.

Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.