
There is no doubting that the Boston Bruins still have a number of needs to round out the 2025-26 roster if they want to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing this past season. It was an underwhelming free agency with a lot of short-term deals that didn't really address their needs.
In fact, the case could be made that the one way that general manager Don Sweeney addressed a need was by acquiring Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade. Other than that, it was mostly bottom-six forwards added to the roster in free agency.
Boston is still in need of a top-six center, and right now would start the season with Elias Lindholm, hoping to have a bounce-back season, and Casey Mittlestadt as their top-two centers. Depth scoring is still a need also, and Boston could look to a former NHL veteran who is looking to return to the league this upcoming season to fill the void on a team-friendly, prove-it deal.
Bruins should consider signing former NHL forward Evgeny Kuznutsov
Before free agency began, Jimmy Murphy of RG Media reported that former Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznutsov, who could fill a need at center, was looking for an NHL return after spending this past season in the KHL. In 743 career games with the Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, Kuznutsov had 173 goals and 402 assists, with 124 of the helpers coming on the power play with Alex Ovechkin.
Now, the Bruins do have David Pastrnak as a power-play sniper scoring goals, and Kuznutsov could be the missing piece to help the Boston power play get a quick fix after finishing near the bottom in 2024-25.
Kuznutsov inked a four-year deal with St. Petersburg in the KHL before last season, and he had 37 points in 39 games before injuries cut his season short. Both sides agreed to mutually terminate his contract, which could set up a return to the NHL. Would he be the top-six center the Black and Gold are missing? Probably not, but he could be some much-needed depth down the middle and on a short-term prove-it deal, it's a very low-risk, extremely high-reward move the Bruins and Sweeney should really consider trying. It can't get any worse, can it?