The Boston Bruins have continued their summer moves by re-signing one of their own. The Bruins and Morgan Geekie have agreed to a six-year $33 million extension. The restricted free agent will now be in Boston through the 2030-31 campaign. This could be a major signing for the Bruins and a big win for both the franchise and Geekie.
It has been a busy offseason for the Bruins already. They started the summer by re-signing Mason Lohrei on the blueline. After the signing, Boston then had a successful NHL Draft. After re-signing Geekie, the Bruins re-signed another trio of players on Monday as well. Still, the Geekie signing may pay off huge dividends overall.
The Canadian-born center was drafted into the NHL with the 67th pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017. He would make his NHL debut in March 2020 and would also spend the 2020-21 campaign with the Hurricanes. After signing a one-year contract with the Canes, he would be selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He would be a solid middle-six forward for the Kraken, scoring 22 points in his first year and then 28 the next season.
The Kraken attempted to trade Geekie’s restricted free agent rights, but with no trade available, they did not tender Geekie, and he became an unrestricted free agent. The center would sign with the Bruins, grabbing a two-year, $4 million deal. In his first season, the value of the deal was already showing. He scored 17 goals while adding 22 assists. The former Kraken cast-off would break out last season. He scored 33 goals while adding 24 assists this past season. Both of those numbers were career highs.
This also put Geekie in line for a huge payday. Still, at just $5.5 million per year, the Bruins may have gotten a steal.
The Bruins hit big with this signing
Geekie was second on the team in goals this past year with 33 tallies. Further, he was tied for 26th in the NHL in goals this past season. He had the lowest overall point total of the five players with 33 goals this year. He also had the third-lowest point total of any player with 30 or more goals. It is still a massive victory for Boston.
The other four players who scored 33 goals this past year were Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Wyatt Johnston, and Tom Wilson. Of those four players, Tom Wilson is the least expensive next season. He will be making $6.5 million next year, a million more than Geekie. Further, Wilson has been playing primarily on the second line, whereas Boston has re-signed a player who is playing on their top line.
Meanwhile, of all players who scored 30 or more goals, Tyler Toffoli had the least amount of points overall. He scored 30 goals and added 24 assists for the Sharks this past season. Toffoli is being paid $6 million this upcoming season, again showing the value the Bruins found in this deal. The Sharks forward will also turn 34 years old during the season, while Geekie will be just 27 years old.
Final thoughts and grades
The Bruins won big with this deal. Geekie was projected to be worth $6.5 million on the open market for a four-year deal. Not only did Boston save a million per year from that projection, but they also have the forward for an extra year. With the salary cap continuing to grow, this will pay long-term dividends for the Bruins, even if he settles into having just 25 goals per year. Further, with Pavel Zacha under contract for the next two seasons, this gives Boston top-line continuity, with both Zacha and David Pastrnak joining Geekie on the top line. Also, Geekie’s cap hit is lower than second and third line players in Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt. He was more productive than both of them last year.
If the former third-round pick can keep up his production, being one of the most accurate shooters in the NHL last year while also helping Pastrnak on the top line, Boston got some amazing value here.
Boston Bruins Grade: A
Geekie took a discount to stay in Boston. The forward may still have won by signing this deal. During the season, Geekie said, “I’ll let my agent figure that out. I haven’t really put much thought into that. I know there’s a lot of like going into the deadline. What was gonna happen with me? I’m just happy to stick around for another month and a half, and if that’s as long as I’m here, then that’s how it’s gonna be, but I love it here. I’d love to stay as long as I can. But it’s a long summer, it’s a business at the end of the day.”
It is clear his desire was the stay in Boston. Not only does he have that for the next five years, but he also will get to play next to Pastrnak. Further, the next time he is up for free agency, he will be turning just 32 years old. So there still could be another major payday in his future. Playing on that Boston top line is sure to help his statistics and ensure that payday.
It’s a solid deal for Geekie, who gets to hang around with a team that truly values him. He probably could have earned more money, but he has a chance to be a cornerstone player in Boston for years to come. And that must be enticing for the Strathclair, Manitoba native.
Morgan Geekie Grade: B+
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