Bruins signal prime goalie prospect to contract extension

Bruins

Brandon Bussi earned All-Star honors in his first full season with the Windfall Bruins in 2022-23.

Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman, left, celebrates the win with Brandon Bussi, right, during the 3rd period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Philadelphia. The Bruins won 5-3.
Brandon Bussi may very well be in line for a bigger function with the Bruins in 2023-24 and past. (AP Photograph/Chris Szagola)

The Bruins commenced what stands to be a busy offseason by securing a bit of their future on Monday.

The group introduced that it signed pending restricted free agent goalie Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract extension by means of the 2023-24 season.

The 24-year-old netminder has established himself as Boston’s prime prospect between the pipes and the group’s No. 3 choice on the depth chart behind Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after a powerful profession at Western Michigan College, Bussi has put collectively spectacular returns throughout his brief stint within the professional ranks.

After a promising debut with the Windfall Bruins in 2021-22, the 24-year-old Bussi thrived in his first full AHL marketing campaign in 2022-23. The Sound Seaside, New York, native earned All-Star honors for the Child B’s, posting a 22-5-4 report with a .924 save share, good for the third-highest mark within the league.

Bussi was known as up by the Bruins on an emergency foundation to again up Swayman in Boston’s closing regular-season video games towards the Flyers and Canadiens. He caught round with the NHL membership because the No. 3 goalie throughout Boston’s doomed first-round collection towards the Panthers.

Inking Bussi to a brand new deal permits Boston to maintain its prime AHL goalie in place for one more yr of crucial growth.

However after a standout displaying in his first full yr with the group, may Bussi be in line for a extra vital function with Boston in 2023-24?

Although Boston ideally needs to maintain its 1-2 punch of Ullmark and Swayman intact shifting ahead, a extreme cap crunch would possibly pressure Don Sweeney into some drastic selections.

With Swayman nonetheless due a pleasant pay increase this summer time as one other unrestricted free agent, the Bruins may discover a commerce for Ullmark searching for cap aid, on condition that his worth might by no means be larger coming off a possible Vezina Trophy win. 

Choosing a reworked tandem of Swayman and Bussi as a inexperienced backup may very well be an choice Boston takes, particularly if it needs to construct for the long run and save a strong chunk of cap house.

Granted, such a transfer nonetheless provides loads of danger on condition that Bussi has but to play in a single NHL sport. Boston might need to peruse the free-agent market for an inexpensive veteran if Ullmark is certainly dealt later this summer time.

No matter how Boston settles its present goalie corps, Bussi’s growth might be one thing price watching in 2023-24.

With Boston doubtless needing to embrace a youth motion in an effort to offset its present fiscal restrictions, Bussi may be one in every of many AHL regulars set to earn bigger roles on the father or mother membership subsequent yr.


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