The Bruins prospects take the ice this morning in Brighton.
Bruins rookie camp opens today at Warrior Ice Arena, with a pool of 16 prospects and seven invitees gearing up for a pair of games in Buffalo. The second and final captains’ practice wrapped up yesterday, and Charlie McAvoy spoke to reporters, addressing both his suspension and the vacant captaincy.
In other Bruins news, Chris Kreider hit the free agent market at 2:00 PM yesterday, and a lot of fingers are pointed toward the Bruins as a landing spot. The Bruins are not the only potential suitor, as Kreider wants to head east and play “closer to family.”
Elsewhere around the league, Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas released the season’s first episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast and had some insight on Connor Hellebuyck and Alexander Nikishin. There are a few teams still around Hellebuyck, and there’s a team with interest in Nikishin.
There are more Atlantic Division offseason grades, an update on Kevin Fiala, and the US Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2026 class was announced yesterday.
Happy Friday, catch up on Bruins and league news in today’s Daily Bean:
Boston Bruins
KREIDER: Chris Kreider is a free agent. The 35-year-old Boxford native wants to play “closer to family,” so why not his hometown team? Kreider, who has scored 22 goals in each of the last two seasons, would be an upgrade in the top six, but his addition would start a domino effect down the roster. The Bruins have plenty of forwards as is, and adding another one clogs a spot for younger players who are supposed to be “licking their chops” at an NHL spot.
MCAVOY: Charlie McAvoy spoke after yesterday’s captains’ practice. He will be missing the first six games after a slash on Zach Benson and addressed that. He’s also a leading candidate to be the 28th captain in franchise history, and said if it’s not him, he does not think there will be any friction in the locker room.
ROOKIE CAMP: Rookie camp opens today! There are 16 Bruins prospects and seven more invitees taking the ice at Warrior Ice Arena at 10:30 AM (updated start time). James Hagens and Dans Locmelis headline the rookie camp/prospects showcase roster.
After their session on Saturday, the rookies will travel to Buffalo for games on Sunday and Monday.
Prospects showcase schedule:
Sunday, Sept. 13: at Buffalo – 5:00 PM
Monday, Sept. 14: at Buffalo – 12:00 PM
FAN FEST: Fan Fest is also this weekend! Both days run from 11 AM to 2 PM. Register here.
Saturday, Sept. 12: Rocky Point State Park (1 Rocky Point Ave, Warwick, RI)
Sunday, Sept. 13: Worcester Common (455 Main Street, Worcester, MA)
Michael DiPietro and Frederic Brunet will be in Warwick on Saturday. There will also be a Patrice Bergeron Look-A-Like contest, with the winner getting a pair of tickets to Bergeron’s Number Retirement Ceremony.
Connor Clifton and Will Borgen will be in Worcester on Sunday.
NESN (via 𝕏): NESN announced (more than deserved) contract extensions with Andy Brickley, Sophia Jurksztowicz, and Adam Pellerin for the upcoming Bruins season.
NHL News & National Hockey Now
Sportsnet: Where else could Chris Kreider land? Rory Boylen of Sportsnet pitches five possible destinations for the 35-year-old left wing. The Bruins are there, but it gets muddy with some of the issues we outlined yesterday.
Montreal Hockey Now: Now, could anyone picture Kreider in Montreal? It’s safe to say he’s not liked up there, but Marc Dumont writes that he is still a target.
TSN: The Vegas Golden Knights signed forward Braeden Bowman to a 6x$3.4M extension that starts in the 2027-28 season. The 23-year-old had 26 points (8-18–26) in 54 games last season, his first in the NHL. He has 62 points (26-36–62) in 88 career AHL games.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Connor Hellebuyck is still in Winnipeg. On yesterday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Sabres, Mammoth, and Hurricanes as teams “still around it.” The Devils were in their own bucket, as Friedman has “very mixed messaging on New Jersey.” James Nichols looks at why there are mixed messages and why the Devils may not have what the Jets want.
Carolina Hockey Now: Former Bruin Mike Reilly inked a one-year, two-way deal with the Hurricanes yesterday. Now they are down to $8.18M in cap space, and they still have to sign Alexander Nikishin. On 32TP, Elliotte Friedman pointed out that the Predators have shown interest in acquiring the 24-year-old defenseman. Rachel Barkley has more on the Hurricanes’ blue line.
Florida Hockey Now: George Richards is back with more Atlantic Division grades. After ending the NHL’s longest playoff drought, the Sabres knocked off the Bruins in six before losing to Montreal in seven. Now, expectations are higher. The Sabres moved on from Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch while locking in their young core.
Sportsnet: Kevin Fiala underwent a procedure related to the lower-body injury he suffered at the Olympics. He is expected to miss the start of training camp, and a more specific timeline for his return is to be determined.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Phil Kessel, the Bruins’ fifth-overall pick in the 2006 draft, is heading to the US Hockey Hall of Fame. Kessel, along with his sister Amanda Kessel, will join TJ Oshie, Ryan Suter, and Stan Wong for a ceremony in Washington, DC, on Nov. 30.
Bruins Offseason Schedule
Friday, September 11, 10:30 AM: Rookie Camp opens – Warrior Ice Arena, Brighton, MA
Sunday, September 13, 5:00 PM: Prospects Showcase – LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, NY
Monday, September 14, 12:00 PM: Prospects Showcase – LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, NY
Wednesday, September 16: Training Camp opens – Warrior Ice Arena, Brighton, MA
Sunday, September 20: First preseason game – TD Garden, Boston, MA
Tuesday, September 29: Home opener – TD Garden, Boston, MA
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