After a rough 2024-25 season, the Boston Bruins are expected to have a very busy summer. One of their biggest goals of the off-season should be to improve their forward group, as they desperately need more offense.
One specific need the Bruins have is another skilled winger in their top six. Because of this, one player whom they should consider making a serious push for if he hits the free-agent market is Winnipeg Jets star Nikolaj Ehlers.
Ehlers, 29, is coming off another strong regular-season with the Jets. In 69 games on the campaign, the 2014 ninth-overall pick scored 24 goals and recorded 63 points. With this, he has now hit the 20-goal mark for the eighth time and 60-point mark for the fourth time in his 10-year career.
Adding a player who produces offense so consistently, like Ehlers, would be significant for a Bruins team looking to be a playoff club again. When looking at a potential fit for him in Boston's lineup, the second line certainly stands out. In addition, he would be an obvious fit for their power play because of his playmaking ability.
Given how well Ehlers has been throughout his career with the Jets, it feels likely that they will aim to get him re-signed. However, if they do not come to terms on a new deal by July 1, the Bruins would be wise to make a serious offer to the 6-foot winger.
Bruins Have Clear Move To Make With Henri Jokiharju
The Boston Bruins traded away several former key players by the trade deadline, including Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Trent Frederic. However, they also did add to their roster at the deadline, acquiring defenseman Henri Jokiharju from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
The decision to bring in Jokiharju was understandable for the Bruins, even if their playoff hopes were already essentially gone at that point in the season. After trading Carlo, the Bruins certainly needed another right-shot defenseman. Thus, they brought in Jokiharju without needing to give up a lot.
Following the trade, Jokiharju fit in nicely on the Bruins. In 18 games with Boston, he recorded four assists, 22 blocks, and a plus-7 rating. He also notably worked well on a pairing with defenseman Nikita Zadorov and saw time on both the Bruins' penalty kill and power play.
Overall, Jokiharju was one of the Bruins' bright spots at the end of the season, and the Original Six club now have a decision to make with him. He is a pending unrestricted free agent, but given how well he played for the Bruins, they should seriously consider re-signing him. At 25 years old, he is still young enough that he could be a nice fit for the Bruins as they continue their retool.
It will be interesting to see what the Bruins end up deciding to do with Jokiharju this summer. He certainly made a case for himself to stick around, but time will tell if that does come to fruition from here.
