Boston Bruins
The Bruins already have over $16 million in projected cap space, but could free up even more spending power by shedding a few redundant contracts.
Joonas Korpisalo’s contract could be moved this offseason to free up cap space. AP Photo/Mark Stockwell
May 13, 2026 | 5:07 PM
5 minutes to read
The Boston Bruins aren’t necessarily in a cap crunch this offseason.
Boston enters the summer with a little over $16 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), with only two pending unrestricted free agents in Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke.
Boston has the fiscal flexibility to re-up a middle-six forward like Arvidsson if the price is right, while still having some spending power to upgrade another area of the roster.
But, if Don Sweeney and the Bruins want their offseason endeavors to be more ambitious, Boston will likely want to be proactive in the coming months when it comes to shedding a few more bloated or redundant contracts off its books.
Here’s a look at a few players that the Bruins could look to move this summer to both clear roster logjams and free up money elsewhere.
G Joonas Korpislao
Contract: $3 million cap hit, signed next two seasons
Joonas Korpisalo played better down the stretch as a veteran backup, helping Boston bank some valuable points in March during its hunt for a playoff spot.
The 32-year-old netminder is a serviceable option in the NHL ranks, but Boston is carrying excess expenditures, with more than $11 million tied up in its goaltending.
Korpisalo’s solid play in the second half could entice a desperate team in need of goaltending to take him off of Boston’s hands, freeing up some cap space in the process. While Boston might have to attach a sweetener in any deal, moving on from Korpisalo and giving Michael DiPietro (the reigning AHL MVP) a shot as Jeremy Swayman’s backup moving forward could be prudent asset management.
D Henri Jokiharju
Contract: $3 million cap hit, signed next two seasons
Considering that Marco Sturm only opted to play the right-shot Henri Jokiharju in 41 games this past season, allocating $3 million per year to a depth defenseman is a tough hit for Boston.
Jokiharju could slot into a regular third-pairing spot next year if Peeke walks. But, issues with the 26-year-old’s consistency could make him an asset that Boston tries to package in another deal — especially if Sturm is hesitant to give him an extended run next season.
F Mikey Eyssimont
Contract: $1.45 million cap hit, signed through next season
Expected to serve as a fly in the ointment in a bottom-six role, Mikey Eyssimont was regularly a scratch down the stretch for Sturm. He appeared in 56 total games, including two out of a possible six playoff matchups against Buffalo.
With Boston’s bottom-six grouping already chock full of established NHLers — and serving as a possible entry point for young skaters next year — Eyssimont could be flipped to a team that can carve out regular reps for the 29-year-old forward.
Much like Boston shipping Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim for a fourth-round pick earlier this year, Eyssimont could be plucked by another team for a low draft pick.
D Mason Lohrei
Contract: $3.2 million, signed through next season
Whereas other players like Eyssimont and Jokiharju might yield minimal returns, a 25-year-old blueliner like Mason Lohrei could hold some value to a team enticed by his size and playmaking ability.
As intriguing as Lohrei’s profile may be, his standing with Sturm might be a bit unsteady, especially after ending the year as a healthy scratch during the final days of Boston’s first-round series against Buffalo. After averaging 19:32 of ice time per game in 2024-25, his reps dropped to 16:54 this past season.
If Boston believes that Lohrei doesn’t have more room to grow — or his defensive shortcomings won’t be remedied in due time — he could be a potential trade chip if Boston is targeting more rigidity on their blue line or more upside elsewhere on the roster.
F Casey Mittelstadt
Contract: $5.75 million, signed through next season
Casey Mittelstadt deserves credit for steadying what was once looking like a rudderless tenure in Boston, developing into a steady, two-way winger under Sturm’s watch while skating on more of the more effective forward lines in hockey this past season.
But, with Arvidsson’s future in Boston in flux and Mittelstadt entering the final year of his deal, questions remain over just how sustainable that line’s production might be moving forward — and whether the 27-year-old Mittelstadt figures into the Bruins’ long-term plans.
Given his age, playmaking ability, and expiring contract, Mittelstadt is an asset that Boston could flip for draft capital, or as part of a package for a player with higher upside — especially if moving his $5.75 million contract off the books allows Boston to absorb another contract or two.
F Pavel Zacha
Contract: $4.75 million, signed through next season
In an ideal world, the Bruins would like to retain Pavel Zacha for the foreseeable future. The 29-year-old forward is a versatile player coming off a career year with 30 goals and 65 points in 78 games.
If Boston wants to re-up Zacha on a long-term deal this summer, it’s easy to envision him serving as a middle-six stalwart for Sturm and the Bruins for the long haul. But it won’t come cheap — especially as 34-year-old Charlie Coyle just signed a six-year extension with Columbus worth $6 million per year.
Considering Zacha’s age, production, and versatility, along with a rising NHL cap ceiling, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Czech forward banks at least $8 million per season on a new deal — especially if he goes to market next summer.
The Bruins really like what Zacha brings out on the ice. But, if they’re hesitant about handing over such a sizable pay raise, have concerns over his ceiling, or think they can upgrade their roster by flipping him for a premium asset, he could be a player that Sweeney could flip as part of a bold offseason swap.
F Elias Lindholm
Contract: $7.75 million cap hit, signed next five seasons
Boston’s top contractual headache revolves around the 31-year-old Elias Lindholm, who has not lived up to his billing as a top-six pivot in the Bruins’ forward corps.
Despite making some inroads on Boston’s resurgent power play in 2025-26, Lindholm only generated 21 points at 5-on-5 play and was plagued by a back injury for the second year in a row that sapped his skating burst down the stretch.
A 31-year-old NHLer with an ailing back doesn’t exactly have a promising long-term prognosis, with Lindholm likely looking at a third-line center role next season as Boston carves out more reps for youngsters like Fraser Minten and James Hagens.
Finding a way to get Lindholm’s contract off the books would alleviate several issues on Boston’s roster. But, it’s a task easier said than done.
Beyond Lindholm’s no-movement clause, very few teams would want to take a player with Lindholm’s injury concerns off of Boston’s hands — not without Boston including significant picks and prospects to make said salary dump palatable.
Perhaps Boston could try and flip him to a team staring at a long-term rebuild like the Canucks as part of a swap of distressed assets like Elias Pettersson — but that remains to be seen.
A pure buyout would also be painful for Boston, as they’d take a cap hit for the next 10 years — including burdensome $5.3 million cap allocations in both 2029-30 and 2030-31 when some younger players on the Bruins roster might be due for some pay raises.
For now, it looks as though the Bruins are stuck with a contract in Lindholm that is starting to look like a sunk cost.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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