Bruins Have RFA Options to Address Right-Shot Defenseman
· Yahoo Sports
The Boston Bruinswant to add this summer. They said they want more speed, skill, and a No. 1 center, but right-handed defensemen still remain a need within the organization.
Andrew Peeke is an unrestricted free agent, and there were reports that the Bruins tried trading for Rasmus Andersson back in January. They did not land him, but their push showed their desire for an upgrade on the right side.
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The Bruins have three right-shot defensemen signed through next season, one being in the AHL, and the other two playing in Boston, though one did not see much ice time down the stretch.
There are very few young, right-handed defensemen in the prospect pool. Mason Langenbrunner just graduated from Harvard, and the Bruins have until August to sign him. Max Wanner is on the last year of his entry-level contract, and he is far from NHL minutes.
That’s where the young right-handed defensemen around the league come into play, many of whom could benefit from a larger role.
Sure, Mason Lohrei improved his game and his stock this season, but he disappointed in terms of sticking as a top-four defenseman. He proved he was capable on his off-hand, but that did not last through the first round of the playoffs. Since the offseason started, Lohrei has been on trade boards, and Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that the Bruins are doing their due diligence on Lohrei as they look for help in their lineup.
The Bruins also have two top-six forwards, a stockpile of first-round picks, five in the next three years, as well as more depth in the prospect pool.
Three right-handed RFA defensemen are popping up as potential trade candidates, and with the scouting combine and draft this month, trade talks are only going to heat up in the next few weeks.
SIMON NEMEC, NJD
Though Simon Nemec has not formally requested a trade with the New Jersey Devils, he is still a prime trade target this summer. He is seventh on The Athletic’s trade board, and he was listed on both the Daily Faceoff and Sportsnet list of trade targets. The Devils have two veteran right-handed defensemen playing ahead of Nemec, and while Dougie Hamilton is also a trade candidate, Nemec is more appealing to the Bruins.
The 22-year-old 6-foot-1 defenseman was drafted second overall in the 2022 draft. He just played his first full NHL season in 2025-26. Before that, he spent parts of his first three North American seasons playing for the AHL’s Utica Comets. This year, he finished with a career-high 26 points (11-15–26). He had a 49.60% 5-on-5 Corsi share, and New Jersey was outscored 63-47 with him on the ice.
He also played on the power play, though not ahead of Dougie Hamilton or Luke Hughes.
In March, New Jersey Hockey Now reported that Nemec’s camp may be looking for a comparable contract to Luke Hughes, who makes $9 million annually. AFP Analytics has two projections for Nemec: a long-term, seven-year deal at $8.06 million per year, or a short-term, two-year deal with a $4.47 million cap hit.
The Devils need help up front. They are among the teams looking for speed and skill, and they also need depth scoring behind their top guys.
BRADEN SCHNEIDER, NYR
If not, the Bruins can look at Braden Schneider, the former Northeastern Husky.
Schneider, 6-foot-3 and turning 25 in September, is coming off a two-year bridge deal. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. He’s also eligible for unrestricted free agency in two summers.
After signing his second contract, Schneider posted a career-high 21-point (6-15–21) season, and followed it with an 18-point (2-16–18) season this year. However, he has some poor underlying numbers. According to Natural Stat Trick, Schneider finished with a 45.77% 5-on-5 Corsi share this season. He has never had above a 50% rate in his five-year career.
AFP Analytics sees two options for Schneider’s upcoming contract. He can sign another bridge, a one-year deal worth $4.1 million, or a long-term six-year deal with a $6 million projected cap hit.
He did not convince the Rangers to lock him into their long-term plans during the regular season, and while Chris Drury said he wants Schneider to be “a Ranger for a long time,” he spoke to “multiple teams” about the defenseman at the deadline, per The Athletic.
Back in January, Chris Drury sent a message to fans announcing the Rangers’ intention to “retool the team.” As a part of that, they are going to “focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space.” They do not want that for Schneider, though. Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reported the Rangers are looking for a scoring forward in a Schneider deal.
MICHAEL KESSELRING, BUF
Last summer, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Michael Kesselring in the trade that sent JJ Peterka to Utah. He had one year left on his bridge deal when he got to Buffalo, only running the Sabres $1.4 million this year, but he was hurt, and when he returned, he played in just 34 games. Nick Kypreos listed him on Sportsnet’s trade board, and Chris Johnston had him right behind Mason Lohrei on The Athletic’s.
Kesselring finished the season with two assists and 50 penalty minutes. He jumped into the lineup for Buffalo’s series-clinching win over the Bruins, but that was the only playoff game he played.
He is one year removed from a 29-point (7-22–29) season in Utah, where he had a 53.88% Corsi share and outscored opponents 48-37 at 5-on-5.
The Sabres have $11.9 million in cap space, and decisions to make on Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, among others. They have six rostered defensemen under contract next season, and Kesselring is not the only defenseman on an expiring contract.
Kesselring, 26 and 6-foot-5, is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer. AFP Analytics projects him to sign a two-year contract with a $2.87 million cap hit. He is also eligible for arbitration this summer.
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