Mailbag: So many bottom six forwards. What to do, what to do .. ?

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Thanks for the questions, Liz!

In the wake of the opening of free agency we have a much better idea of Boston's roster, and cap space heading into next season.

The Bruins have $2,081,667 in available cap space as of July, 4.

Pure speculation, but I think all of their current centers stay, and some just play wing. Their updated lineup could look something like this - though there's multiple options among the same personnel.

Geekie - Lindholm - Pastrnak

Zacha - Mittelstadt - Arvidsson

Khusnutdinov - Minten - Poitras

Jeannot - Kuraly - Kastelic

Lindholm - McAvoy

Zadorov - Jokiharju

Lohrei - Peeke

Swayman

Korpisalo

Extras / Others in consideration for opening night spot : Eyssimont, Beecher, Harris, Lysell, Merkulov, Blumel, Steeves

With the above in mind, the offseason is still young and there could be more shoes to drop via trade etc. although i'm not sure how likely that is at the moment.

Liz mentioned the possibility of moving Mittelstadt.

Feels like if they were to move on from him it may have been pre-daft, or free agency.

Now while they still could do so, he's one of few top six caliber forwards that they have at the moment and he is going to be relied upon for offense.

I'm also getting the sense that the Bruins are viewing Mittelstadt as a reclamation project and that they can still get the best out of him. After all, he's a former top ten pick, and is still only 26 years old.

Furthermore, I don't think the trade market is great right now for Mittelstadt.

Many teams who finished in the bottom half of the league likely have young players, and prospects of their own, and teams in the top half of the league probably all have two top centers, and would likely only be interested in Mittelstadt as a 3rd line center until he re-establishes himself as a bona fide top six forward again.

Poitras?

He could be enticing in a trade (for a top six forward) if he were packaged with a draft pick or two, and or another younger prospect.

Now the Bruins would still have to find cap space to add another top sox forward, but it does feel like a trade package with Poitras included is more likely than Mittelstadt due to Poitras' more unproven, yet still valuable nature.

Again, to Liz's point, while Boston's NHL roster doesn't have true No. 1 center, it does have an abundance of No. 2, and No. 3 caliber, or potential centers.

Zacha, Mittelstadt, Minten, Poitras - James Hagens is also on the way soon as well, and while he has future No. 1 center upside, he may find himself in the middle six for a little bit of time whenever he first breaks into the NHL.

So, it does feel like something needs to give - but there really isn't a major rush.

Boston is in a time of transition, and there's something to be said about hangning tight for at least the first half of next season and seeing what Mittelstadt, Poitras, Minten, etc. can make of their opportunities before trying to make potential personnel changes.

Georgii Merkulov re-signing was a surprise to me.

It's unclear what his future is in Boston, but i'd imagine he'll get as much of an opportunity to win a job out of training camp as any other fringe roster player.

My guess is that due to the numbers game, he'll be spending more time in Providence.

Merkulov has tons of skill, but so far - his lack of speed, and size has made it difficult for him to be as effective in decision making, and making plays with the puck on his stick at the NHL level compared to his time in the AHL because his time and space gets taken away quicker.

Time will continue to tell on him.

This question we no longer have to speculate.

Brock Boeser re-signed in Vancouver, and Nikola Ehlers signed with Carolina.

Meanwhile, the Bruins traded for Viktor Arvidsson, and namely signed free agents Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, Jordan Harris, and AHL standouts Alex Steeves, and Matej Blumel.

Boston's plan seems more clear to me than perhaps others right now. And that plan is exercising patience while establishing structure, and identity.

It's understandable why fans are confused and annoyed that Boston didn't sign a top six winger in free agency or acquire a No. 1 center.

But they seem to forget that most high end free agents forwards re-signed with their previous club due to the salary cap increasing $9M this summer.

Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, John Tavares, Andrei Kuzmenko, Brock Boeser, Matt Duchene, Patrick Kane, and Claude Giroux just to name some, ALL stayed put.

Mitch Marner wanted to go to Vegas, and Nikolaj Ehlers signed in Carolina because he wanted they play in a warm climate city with a small media market. Sound like Boston? Nope.

Point is, there wasn't much to be added in the top six forward market this summer, so what did people want them to do?

Now did Boston sign or re-sign an extra bottom six forward or two?

Yes, absolutely.

But their goal to me seems pretty clear for next season.

Re-establish structure in all three zones, be effective on special teams, and re-create a blue collar identity where teams hate seeing the Bruins on their schedule.

If they happen to will, and structure their way to a wild card playoff spot, then great, but it's not their priority this season.

So for the " The Jacobs only want playoff revenue" crowd - Bruins management, and ownership actually appear to be exercising patience for a change.

Boston knows that once they get back to basics, they can then add higher end talent over the next couple seasons, and that they have Hagens on the way, as well as an improved prospect pool, and a good amount of future draft capital.

For the first time in almost two decades, the Bruins are entering a season with very low expectations both regionally, domestically, and internationally even.

But hey, low expectations sometimes lead to the funnest seasons because there's a chance of being pleasantly surprised instead of let down.

So their plan after not signing Boeser, or Ehlers?

Patience, getting back to a style of hockey that the team and fanbase can be proud of, and then add the appropriate high end talent upon the return of their structure.

Appreciate the question, Robby.

You also raise a strong point eluding to the fact that the abundance of bottom six talent currently under contract will probably decrease by opening night next season.

Take a look back up at my response to Liz when it comes to their potential lineup, and extra forwards and you can see the problem Robby is referring to.

I'll break it down like this.

Forwards that will definitely make the team out of camp:

1. David Pastrnak

2. Elias Lindholm

3. Morgan Geekie

4. Pavel Zacha

5. Casey Mittelstadt

6. Viktor Arvidsson

7. Tanner Jeannot

8. Sean Kuraly

9. Mark Kastelic

Forwards that have a spot to earn out of camp:

1. Matt Poitras

2. Fraser Minten

3. Marat Khusnutdinov

4. Johnny Beecher

5. Michael Eyssimont

6. Fabian Lysell

7. Georgii Merkulov

8. Matej Blumel

9. Alex Steeves

10. Dans Locmelis

Some of the above names will make Boston's opening night lineup, some will be extras, some will go down to Providence, and some may be waived.

But let's say the Bruins got rid of Korpisalo's $3M cap hit, along with waiving or sending come money to the minors - Boston could probably get back around $5M+ in cap space. Which yes, could theoretically be enough money for a top six forward on a good contract if one was available and Boston could trade for one.

That's a lot of "ifs" and moving Korpisalo is the biggest one.

I'm not sure if Boston can or even wants to move on from him with Swayman's bounce back season still in question.

I've been wrong before, and i'll be wrong again - but if fans are expecting Boston to make impactful trades this summer to try and bolster their top six forward group, I wouldn't hold your breath.

It would surprise me at this point because as i've said above, their plan for next year now seems clear and in the wake of free agency.

Under Marco Sturm's defense first mindset and leadership, and by adding the type of players they have, their plan is to FIRST re-establish structure, and identity and THEN focus on upgrading the roster by filling in their missing higher end pieces.

In other words, they're not trying to put the cart before the horse.

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That does it for this week, thank you for participating, and reading and have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!