Defenseman set to part ways with Bruins as free agent

At the end of each season, we rely on season-ending media availability to determine which pending unrestricted free agents will test the free agent market and which players wish to remain in town. The Boston Bruins’ roster changes were unclear following locker room cleanup day.

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort will be available in free agency. Forbort is coming off a three-year contract with the Bruins that was not particularly successful. Forbort had with injury troubles throughout the 2023-24 season, limiting him to only 35 games played.

Per @TheFourthPeriod, Derek Forbort will test free agency on July 1 and will not return to the #NHLBruins #GetBent pic.twitter.com/OAlPPK0Lqh

— Bruins Benders Podcast (@BruinsBenders) June 5, 2024

With Andrew Peeke joining the Bruins and the emergence of Parker Wotherspoon and Mason Lohrei, Forbort’s time in Boston is limited. Peeke and Wotherspoon are both defensively minded defensemen who are similar in age to the Bruins core and have a lower cap charge than Forbort.

Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon – Andrew Peeke

As the Bruins enter the offseason, their defensive core appears to be cemented. The question will be whether the Bruins can upgrade from Wotherspoon/Lohrei on the left side and take a gamble. They’re said to be targeting Jakob Chychurn, who could be on the market again. Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov provide further defense alternatives.

My Thoughts

Derek Forbort was not a big contributing component to the Boston Bruins’ success. When he signed the 3 x 3 contract, many supporters were perplexed, with some claiming it was an overpayment. During his first postseason appearance, he received some praise for his defensive play and shot-blocking ability, but let’s be honest: those players are easy to come by.

Seeing Forbort depart from the Bruins is a net plus in my opinion. Andrew Peeke was brought in to play Forbort’s role, but with much greater physicality. For the most part, Forbort underperformed in terms of big hits. Take your cap savings and go find a scoring forward, Don.