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The Boston Bruins made their first roster move of what’s expected to be a busy offseason on Sunday afternoon.
Boston announced it signed defenseman Ian Mitchell to a one-year, contract extension worth $775,000.
Mitchell spent most of the 2023-24 NHL season with the Providence Bruins, but played in 13 games for the Bruins during and amassed two assists. In 42 games for Providence, Mitchell potted six goals and 18 assists.
Mitchell’s contract extension comes eight days before free agency officially opens on July 1. 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.
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Bruins Bring Back Depth Defenseman In First Signing Of Offseason
It was nearly a year ago that Ian Mitchell first joined the Boston Bruins. Today, Mitchell is rejoining the organization as its first signing of the offseason after agreeing to a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level.
The signing helps the Bruins and Mitchell avoid arbitration, which he was eligible for as a restricted free agent.
Mitchell, 25, arrived in Boston last summer as part of the return the Bruins received in a trade that sent Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks. He appeared in 13 games for the Bruins, totaling two assists, 11 shots, 13 blocks and three hits with a plus-six rating while playing 15:08 per game.
Mitchell spent the majority of his first year with the Bruins organization in AHL Providence, where he had four goals and 24 in 42 games, playing a hand in the team’s run to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Back with the Bruins again, Mitchell’s role will largely stay the same while on a two-way deal.
After agreeing to terms with Mitchell, the Bruins still must make decisions on restricted free-agent forward prospects Joey Abata, Curtis Hall and Marc McLaughlin, as well as defensemen Michael Callahan, Alec Regula and goalie Brandon Bussi.
Forward Jesper Boqvist and goalie Jeremey Swayman are the only two restricted free agents the Bruins have at the NHL level, with the deal they’re expected to sign with Swayman being one of the most highly anticipated moves of the entire offseason.
Drafted 57th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Mitchell has appeared in 95 career games between the Bruins and Blackhawks, scoring four goals and 14 assists with a minus-15 rating.
