The Boston Bruins want to add speed and skill this summer, and they may be able to look at a team in salary cap trouble for some help.
Someone the Bruins should have their eyes on is Mavrik Bourque, a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout sophomore season on a lethal Dallas Stars team. He hit the 20-goal mark and finished with 41 points; he added one more goal in six playoff games.
Bourque plays both center and right wing and spent much of this season on the right side of Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston on the Stars’ first line. He averaged 15:32 of ice time per night and averaged 1:03 of nightly power play time.
He had 73 individual high-danger chances at 5-on-5 this season, and the Stars had a 57.11% share of high-danger chances with Bourque on the ice. They also outshot, outscored, and outattempted their opponents with Bourque on the ice.
The 5-foot-11 forward won the Les Cunningham Award in 2024, given to the AHL MVP, after he posted a league-leading 77 points (26-51–77). He played in his first full NHL season in 2024-25, posting 25 points (11-14–25) in 73 games.
At the end-of-season press conference, both Cam Neely and Don Sweeney stressed speed and skill. They talked about not having a 1C, and while Bourque is not that, he provides help. He has proven to be a fit as a two-way top-six forward.
The Bruins are also at risk of losing second-line right wing Viktor Arvidsson to free agency. Arvidsson, an Oilers’ cap casualty last summer, scored 25 goals this season, and at 33 years old, this may be his last chance to cash in during a thin free agency class.
Bourque’s situation gets more interesting when looking at the Stars’ cap space.
The Stars have $10,139,667 in cap space for next season, but Bourque is not their biggest contract decision. Pending RFA Jason Robertson, who finished 10th in the league with 96 points (45-51–96), is due for a new contract this summer. There have been conflicting reports about it getting done, but AFP Analytics projects his long-term contract to be eight years at $11.94 million annually.
Regardless of Robertson’s potential cap hit, if the Stars want to keep their top scorer, they will have to make some moves this summer or say goodbye to other players, potentially making Bourque available.
Don Sweeney can pick up the phone, call Stars GM Jim Nill, and attempt a trade for Bourque’s rights, though it does not save the Stars any money. On the other hand, Sweeney can play the waiting game and see if Bourque is an option on July 1. If the Stars provide him a qualifying offer before then, the Bruins can, and should, explore an offer sheet. If they do not qualify him, which seems unreasonable, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Bruins cannot send an offer sheet with a cap hit greater than $4,775,667, as they do not have their 2027 third-round pick. AFP projects Bourque to ink a two-year deal worth $2.96 million annually, which costs Boston a second-round pick in compensation.
🚨Breaking
The Offer Sheet Tiers for this summer are finalized. These are the 2027 picks needed for offer sheets this summer.
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While he is not the No. 1 center that Cam Neely said the Bruins do not have, he does address a need. He’s young, comes with upside, and can play multiple positions, something the Bruins have looked for throughout their 1.5-year retool.