The Boston Bruins had a need for a top-four, left-shot defenseman. They may have signed one on the opening day of NHL free agency when they landed Derek Forbort. Forbort agreed to a three-year contract worth $3 million annually.
Forbort spent the 2020-21 NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets. He is a 6’4” — 215lbs stay-at-home defenceman who played some tough second-pair minutes for the Jets last season. According to the Bruins Network on Twitter, he is a “Low-maintenance guy that blocks shots, kills penalties and brings some needed friction in his own end.” They add, “$3m AAV isn’t a steal, but I really don’t think it’s something to be worked up over.”
He averaged 24:38 of ice time in eight playoff games for the Jets this past spring. He is coming off a one-year, $1 million contract with the Jets, so this is a big raise for the blueliner. He offers some experience, having played 331 games with the Kings, Flames and Jets over the course of his six-year NHL career.
Forbort isn’t a flashy name. He’s not Ryan Suter, Seth Jones, Dougie Hamilton or Alec Martinez, but he’s still considered a top-four defenseman option for a Boston Bruins team that had holes to fill.
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