The Boston Bruins could use a veteran defenseman, and appears they have at least one name on their radar.
There's "lots of expectation" that the Bruins will be "going hard" for veteran defenseman Ryan Suter this offseason, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported late Sunday night.
The Wild recently bought out the remaining four years of Suter's 13-year contract he signed with Minnesota in 2012, making him a free agent. Suter turned 36 in January and tallied just 19 points in 56 games last season, but he's still an intriguing target for Boston.
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The Bruins have lost two physical, experienced defensemen in the last two years in Zdeno Chara (free agency) and Kevan Miller (retirement). Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzlecyk are the team's longest-tenured blue-liners at ages 24 and 27, respectively, so Suter would help fill that veteran void.
While the 6-foot-1, 210-pound D-man has logged plenty of minutes in 16 NHL seasons, he's still durable, having missed five games or fewer in each of the last eight seasons. A source told Friedman that Suter could be the "Corey Perry of 2021-22," referring to the veteran forward who helped the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadians reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Suter could slot nicely next to Carlo on the Bruins' second D-pairing behind Charlie McAvoy and Grzlecyk, so his situation will be worth monitoring once the NHL's transaction free lifts on Wednesday.