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Jordan Harris learned of the trade while shopping for a table at HomeGoods. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Bruins’ Jordan Harris Signing Flies Under Radar

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brandon Share-Cohen | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The Boston Bruins made a lot of noise at the start of the 2025 Free Agency period. Rather than signing a big fish or two and letting some of their youth compete for spots, they opted to spend money on filling out their roster. Whether this was the right approach or not is yet to be seen, but one move that flew under the radar and offered good value by general manager Don Sweeney was the signing of 25-year-old defender Jordan Harris.

Harris is a Massachusetts native who spent four seasons at Northeastern University before joining the Montreal Canadiens during the 2021-22 season. The left-shot blue-liner was taken in the third round in 2018 and, upon signing his NHL contract, immediately made the jump to the NHL; to this day, he’s yet to play a single game in the AHL.

There was some early buzz surrounding Harris in Montreal before the team ultimately opted to trade him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the deal that saw Patrik Laine shipped to the Canadiens. Harris played just 33 games for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season, paving the way for the Bruins to sign him to a one-year, $825,000 deal this offseason.

“Boston seemed most interested through the process, which is great. You want to be a part of an organization that wants you as a player. It goes both ways. I’m definitely real excited and fortunate and happy to be here,” Harris said earlier this offseason (from ‘Haverhill native Jordan Harris relishing chance to catch on with Bruins,’ Boston Herald – 7/18/2025).

Harris, from Haverhill, Massachusetts, also mentioned he’s skated at Warrior Ice Arena and practiced in Boston for years. On top of this, he’s worked with team skills coach John McLean since he was 10 years old. Familiarity will obviously not be an issue for Harris, though that doesn’t mean he won’t be facing an uphill battle regarding a starting spot on this Bruins’ roster.

As it stands, the team’s top-six defenders project to be Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Mason Lohrei, Henri Jokiharju and Andrew Peeke. It’s hard to imagine Harris pushing any of these players out of their starting spot right out of training camp, but if he does, it would be a welcome problem for the Bruins to deal with. Harris wasn’t signed to be an obvious top-six defender. Instead, his projected role to start the season will likely be as the team’s seventh defenseman

Harris Offers Reliable Depth at a Low Cost

Though it may sound like an exciting role for a player to occupy, the grueling nature of NHL action, especially when compounded throughout an 82-game season, often requires teams to dig deep into their depth chart and dress players who may not even have been on the radar early in the season. In recent seasons, the Bruins have dealt with a number of injuries on their back end, and it’s virtually a guarantee that Harris will find himself in the lineup at some point in the season, be it due to performance, injury, or some other unforeseen outcome.

Getting Harris on the roster on such a team-friendly contract provides value for a team looking to bounce back after a monumentally disappointing and team-altering season that included a fire sale at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

While Harris isn’t going to be the flashy name that some fans may have wanted, he’s going to be a dependable player who gives the Bruins some insurance on the back-end and has the upside to be more than that for the team moving forward. Not every single signing and trade has to be a home run, and while Bruins fans are desperate for something to give them hope that things will improve in the near future, the little wins like this Harris signing need to be celebrated when they come along.