JUST IN: According to ESPN, the Boston Bruins forward has formally committed to a new deal with the Ottawa Senators, meaning he will not be playing for the organization next season…..

Bruins forward won’t return to team next season (report)

The Boston Bruins have what’s sure to be a busy offseason ahead of them, and it appears they’ve already made a decision when it comes to one of their bottom-six forwards.

Oskar Steen’s agent, Joakim Persson, confirmed to the VF outlet that the free-agent-to-be will be looking for a new team. NHL free agency officially begins July 1.

“Boston has given us permission to already start talking to other teams to see what interest there is,” Persson told VF, via Google translate. “So those are the conversations we are in the middle of now, and I’m going over to Vegas for the NHL draft on (June) 28-29 and continue to have conversations and dialogues there.”

Steen was placed on waivers by Boston in February and returned to Providence. In 34 games for the Bruins, he amassed just one point — a goal on Nov. 14 against the Buffalo Sabres. Steen finished the 2023-24 season with Providence after clearing waivers.

The 26-year-old finished with 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in 25 games for Providence.

After getting eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Florida Panthers, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said he expects to be “aggressive” this summer.

There are plenty of items on Sweeney’s to-do list including signing goalie Jeremy Swayman to a long-term contract — something Swayman is confident will happen. The Bruins must also decide which free agents — if any — they want to re-sign including Jake DeBrusk, and would benefit from adding a true No. 1 center.

There’s also the future of Linus Ullmark, which Sweeney said they’d explore all options when it came to the goalie, who will enter the final year of his contract in 2024-25.