Here’s the fifth feature on the eight potential unrestricted free agents for the Boston Bruins and whether or not they will return to play with the Bruins in the 2023-24 regular season or beyond.
Will Tomas Nosek still be centering the fourth line for the Boston Bruins next season?
The Skinny
Tomas Nosek has been a penalty-killing, face-off specialist for the Boston Bruins since arriving as an unrestricted free agent signing prior to the 2020-21 season. Nosek signed a two-year, $3.5 million ($1.7M AAV), contract back on July 28, 2021, and one could argue that he has been worth every cent.
Nosek had seven goals and 11 assists in 66 regular season games this past season, and then added two assists in the Bruins’ seven-game first round series loss to the Florida Panthers. In his first season with the Boston Bruins, the 6-foot-3, 205-pivot had three goals and 14 assists in 75 games, and then added two helpers in the seven-game first round series loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While those may seem, at first glance, not so appetizing stats, Nosek wasn’t brought in for his offensive prowess and did exactly what he was brought into do, and that’s minimize the opponents’ scoring chances. The 30-year-old Czech center finished at a plus 9, and was seventh in faceoff percentage going 59.3% at the dot.
Outlook
Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney have consistently raved about Nosek’s value to the team, and there’s a mutual desire for the two parties to reach an agreement on a new contract before July 1.
“I really like the group of guys here so I would love to stay, hopefully we can, and I can stay here for sure, it’s my number one priority,” Nosek told reporters on May 2. “Like, I want to stay here, it’s my number one priority. We love Boston, my family, love Boston and if there’s a chance I sign here, I want to stay here, but it’s not up to me, right now, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
The read here is that Nosek can make more on the open market should he decide to become an unrestricted free agent. Sadly the Boston Bruins may need to say thanks and move on because of their salary cap restraints, unless Nosek really took a discount to stay in Boston.
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