Bruins Make Decisions On Pending RFAs Ahead of Free Agency
Georgii Merkulov inks one-year extension
Even with locking up several of their pending free agents, the Bruins still have plenty of roster decisions to make this summer, and bringing back prospect Georgii Merkulov was part of the plan.
Merkulov signed a one-year, two-way contract with an annual average value of $775,000, the Bruins announced on Monday. He is waiver-eligible, so if he doesn’t make the Bruins roster out of training camp, he’ll need to be placed on waivers to be sent to Providence.
The 24-year-old Russian forward had a standout season with the Providence Bruins, leading the team with 54 points in 59 games. He also skated in six games with Boston during the 2024-25 season, notching one assist.
After announcing the Merkulov contract, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney revealed the fate of seven other players on the eve of free agency.
The group of seven not extended qualifying offers (and thus became unrestricted free agents in the process) includes forwards Trevor Kuntar, Jakub Lauko, Jaxon Nelson, and Oliver Wahlstrom, as well as defensemen Drew Bavaro, Daniil Misyul, and Ian Mitchell.
In other news, it appears that any hope of the Bruins reuniting with former captain Brad Marchand has been laid to rest.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion has reportedly agreed to a six-year extension with the Florida Panthers, per multiple reports. The deal is reportedly worth just under $32 million.
While the contract is not official, the details are reportedly front-loaded with $1 million in base salary each season and the rest in a signing bonus and he annual average value is $5.25 million with a no-movement clause in the first four seasons and then two seasons with partial no-trade, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
With the free agent market set to open at noon ET on Tuesday, here are the top storylines to watch:
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights complete a trade that sends Mitch Marner to Sin City in exchange for Nicolas Roy, as reported by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston?
Where will Nikolaj Ehlers land? With Marner locked up by either the Leafs or the Knights, Ehlers will be the most sought-after forward in free agency.
The Bruins need a top-six forward. Could Sweeney take a swing at landing Ehlers? One thing is for sure: Canada Day is going to be an interesting one.