Bruins don’t extend qualifying offers to Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase
Kase #Kase
In a surprise move, the Bruins did not give qualifying offers to Nick Ritchie or Ondrej Kase, making them both unrestricted free agents when the bell sounds on Wednesday at noon.
The move comes after GM Don Sweeney had said last Thursday that he would extend qualifying offers to those players, though that was before Taylor Hall officially signed his four-year, $6 million-per-season extension.
Ritchie’s rights-retaining qualifying offer would have been $2 million but he might have made more than that from arbitration after his 15-goal season in 56 games. And with a logjam now at left wing with the return of Hall, it appears that Ritchie is now very much a former Bruin. He was a deadline acquisition from the Ducks for Danton Heinen two years ago. Heinen, coincidentally, was not tendered his $2.75 million QO from Anaheim.
Kase is a different case. His qualifying offer would have been for $2.6 million, a hefty price for a player who, talented though he may be, missed almost the entire 2020-21 season because of the latest of multiple concussions, this one coming in the second game of the season in New Jersey. Kase — obtained from the Ducks as well in a deal that cost the B’s a first-round pick, prospect defenseman Axel Andersson and David Backes — tried to come back in the second-to-last game of the season but had to pull the plug in the second period.
According to a source, the B’s are still open to re-signing Kase at a lower price than the qualifying offer once the club can get more clarity on his health. It’s believed that Kase is working out and does indeed hope to resume his career.
Time will tell if the Ritchie decision comes back to bite the B’s. The big left wing gave the B’s some of what they wanted — physicality, net-front presence — but not all the time. He could be a fearsome fighter as well, though he didn’t drop the gloves too often. The B’s are betting that the 24-year-old Ritchie, the 10th overall pick in 2014, enjoyed a career year in ’21, especially given the fact that he was given time on the first power-play unit for much of the season.
The B’s did not qualify Providence winger Robert Lantosi as well.
Unless the B’s go out and make a deal for a left wing, it would seem that, at least for the time being, they are now committed to left wing Jake DeBrusk, who struggled through a rough ’20-21 season in which he contracted COVID-19 and was limited to just five goals in 41 games, making him a subject of a trade rumors. Fueling those rumors is the B’s clear need of upgrades on defense.
Meanwhile, with Wednesday’s opening of free agency, options for a top-four left defenseman appeared to be dwindling.
According to multiple reports, Alec Martinez will be re-upping with the Vegas Golden Knights, believed to be a three-year deal at approximately $5 million. And Ryan Suter, bought out by the Minnesota Wild and once believed to be at least one of the players who are objects of the Bruins’ affections, appears to be looking for as much as he can get. Minnesota-based reporter Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that he’s looking for a four-year deal. That would seem prohibitive for a player who will be 37 in January.
Jamie Oleksiak, who would have been a good fit as a big stay-at-home presence next to Charlie McAvoy, went off the board early when he signed a whopping five-year, $23 million deal.
What’s left? As far as rugged, penalty-killing types, there’s 6-foot-4, 220-pound defenseman Derek Forbort, who led the Winnipeg Jets in PK time last season. They could take a chance on 27-year-old Jake McCabe, who suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Sabres last February. Had McCabe been healthy, he might be ranked a lot higher in this year’s free agent class.
There is also local guy Keith Yandle (Milton), who was bought out by Florida. At 34, he’s a talented offensive defenseman and power-play quarterback, though the B’s biggest need is more of a rugged two-way D-man who could handle big minutes in the top four. If they go for Yandle, they would definitely need to obtain another more defensive-minded blueliner, preferably with some size.
The B’s did extend qualifying offers to forward Zach Senyshyn and minor league goalie Callum Booth. They also signed RFA left defenseman Nick Wolff to a one-year, two-way contract that carries an NHL cap hit of $750,000.