Torey Krug became an unlikely hero during the Bruins’ run to the Stanley Cup run in 2013. He became a fan-favorite among the Causeway faithful as exemplified by his helmetless, bone-jarring hit on Blues forward Robert Thomas in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final six years later.
Well, Thomas and Krug will now be teammates in St. Louis. The now-former Bruin signed a new seven-year contract with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million per season. By comparison, the Bruins reportedly offered Krug the same salary for six years before Don Sweeney took the deal off the table on Friday.
Moments after the Krug news surfaced on Twitter, the Bruins confirmed the re-signing of veteran defenseman Kevan Miller. The ex-Vermont Catamount, who’s been plagued by injuries the last two years, returns on a one-year deal with a $1.25 million cap hit.
Perhaps Sweeney has another move in mind following Krug’s departure. The sixth-year general manager postponed his original press conference — scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday — to Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Bruins reportedly have interest in forwards Taylor Hall and Craig Smith. Hall, a Hart Trophy recipient with the Devils in 2018, played for his third team (Coyotes) since the Oilers selected him with the top overall pick in 2010. Smith, while not as prolific a goal scorer as Hall, quietly became a solid offensive weapon for the Predators, notching 20 goals in five of his nine seasons in the Music City.
With a disgruntled fanbase, Sweeney needs to make a big splash. His free agency track record hasn’t been anything to write home about since he took over for Peter Chiarelli in 2015. Adding Hall, Smith or another top name like Tyler Toffoli or Alex Pietrangelo will at least give New Englanders a sense of hope — or even relief.
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