Meet Your New Bruins: Michael Eyssimont

Despite making solid strides in the USHL, Eyssimont was overlooked in his first years of eligibility. He was first eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft, making the birth cut off (Sept. 15, 1996) by six days. Given his young age, it isn’t a surprise he was not selected in 2014, but he was once again overlooked in 2015 as well, despite a solid season in the USHL and great postseason run. 

In 2015-16, Eyssimont joined the NCAA, playing for St. Cloud State University. He had a fantastic first season, appearing in 40 games where he put up 14 goals and 33 points, putting to bed any concerns about how he’d be able to transition from the USHL to the NCAA. Going into the 2016 Draft, his final year of eligibility, he was not ranked by NHL Central Scouting, but praised by several scouts for his offensive instincts, and ability to show up in the big moments. But there were lingering concerns about his skating.

Still, when the 2016 Draft got underway in Buffalo, Eyssimont finally heard his name called when the Los Angeles Kings selected him in the fifth round with the 142nd overall pick.

Continued Development

Eyssimont played two more seasons at St. Cloud State following his selection in the 2016 draft. His best season came in his final one, 2017-18 when he registered 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games. Following the end of the NCAA season, he signed his entry-level contract and joined the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played in the final three games of the season, registering his first professional hockey point, an assist. 

For the next three seasons, Eyssimont played full-time in the AHL for the Reign, never making the jump to play for the Kings. He struggled to distinguish himself and was leapfrogged in the depth chart by other young, higher-end prospects that were coming up. 

He left the Kings organization, signing a two-year, two-way deal in July 2021 with the Winnipeg Jets. He started the 2021-22 season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, where he made tremendous leaps forward. With the Reign, his best season came in 2019-20 when he had 12 goals and 28 points in 56 games. In 2021-22, he had 18 goals and 42 points in 58 games. 

Eyssimont’s fantastic season in the AHL earned him a call-up for his first NHL game for the Winnipeg Jets. After a solid training camp in 2022-23, Eyssimont started the season in the AHL but after nine games, he was called back up to the NHL and has not looked back.

Around the NHL

The 2022-23 season saw the then 26-year-old make the NHL full-time, and saw him play for three different teams. He was called up by the Jets to fill in for a rush of injuries and quickly proved himself to be ready for the NHL. Unfortunately, when guys started coming back from injury, spots became limited, and Eyssimont was the odd one out, being placed on waivers in January 2023, where he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks.

He played 20 games for the Sharks, registering three goals and eight points, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 1, 2023 in exchange for Vladislav Namestnikov. He then played for his fifth team of the season when he joined Team USA for the World Championship after the Lightning were bounced from the playoffs.

Eyssimont had his best NHL season in 2023-24 when he played 81 games for the Lightning, registered 11 goals and 25 points, earned a reputation as a solid fourth-line player. He could play a strong, physical game while still managing to contribute a decent number of points while averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time a night. In 2024-25, he played 57 games with the Lightning before being traded to the Seattle Kraken along with two first-round picks and a second-round pick in exchange for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Like everywhere he’s played, Eyssimont received praise for his playing style and making the most of his limited minutes. There were some questions about whether or not he would remain with Kraken, but on July 1, he signed a two-year, $2.9 million deal with an average annual value of $1.45 million.

What Eyssimont Brings to the Bruins

Eyssimont is entering his fifth season in the NHL, playing for his fifth team. He will turn 29 this September, making him one of the older guys on a team that has become quite young over the past year and will hopefully have a number of young guys playing more full-time roles. There is room and potential for him to establish himself as a leader on and off the ice. 

The Bruins have lucked out on guys in recent seasons coming in on cheap contracts and being able to perform above expected. Last season it was Cole Koepke, and before that, it was Morgan Geekie, who also came from the Kraken and has now become one of the top forwards in the organization. While Eyssimont is pretty unlikely to reach the same heights as Geekie, it is reasonable to think he could contribute 20-plus points while providing a solid and physical presence on the bottom-six to help these younger players get space to grow and adjust to the NHL.

Jeannot, with his bigger contract, is going to have more of the pressure to step up and perform higher than expected, but Eyssimont will be someone to keep an eye on. He’s experienced, settled into his career, and does have a potential next level to his offensive game that has yet to be seen from him at the NHL level. The truth is that the Bruins still look like they will be in need of help when it comes to scoring, and without a big-name offensive talent brought in, the pressure is on for everyone — but especially the new acquisitions — to step up and contribute more than expected.