If the Bruins are looking for bargain-bin scorers, here’s 5 candidates

Blake Wheeler could be a possible PTO candidate for the Bruins during training camp.

Blake Wheeler has yet to sign with a team so far this offseason. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

With the start of training camp less than a month away, Don Sweeney and the Bruins only have one major entry left on their offseason to-do list.

Jeremy Swayman has still not yet put pen to paper on a hefty new contract extension.

But given the 25-year-old goalie’s recent optimistic musings, the limitations that come with his restricted free agent designation, and Boston’s fiscal flexibility (over $9 million in cap space remaining, per @BruinsCapSpace), the writing is on the wall that both team and player eventually bridge the gap on contract talks at some point next month.

But with several veteran free agents still without a team at this point in the offseason, could the Bruins also peruse the market for additional scoring punch at a steep discount?

The case can be made that the Bruins could use another winger capable of slotting into a middle-six role, especially with Jake DeBrusk leaving in free agency. Boston does have options between elevating wingers like Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie — or even giving a promising youngster like Fabian Lysell a shot to make the NHL club out of camp.

But if Jim Montgomery, Sweeney, and the rest of Boston’s personnel are trying to cook up some internal competition during camp, inking a veteran to a league-minimum deal or even a professional tryout contract (PTO) could be an appealing option — especially given the options still out on the market.

Here’s a look at five possible options for the Bruins if they plan on adding some scoring talent between now and the start of camp.

Blake Wheeler, RW

A familiar face in Boston, Wheeler spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Bruins — recording 110 points over 221 games before getting dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers in a deal that landed Rich Peverley. That swap helped Boston eventually hoist the Stanley Cup a few months later, but Wheeler quickly blossomed into a potent playmaker over time with the Winnipeg Jets.

In 13 total seasons with Atlanta/Winnipeg, the 6-foot-5 Wheeler recorded 812 points (262 goals, 550 assists) over 897 games. The 37-year-old winger spent last season with the Rangers, scoring nine goals and 21 points over 54 games in what was an injury-riddled campaign.

But Wheeler was just a year removed from a 16-goal, 55-point season in 2022-23 with Winnipeg, and could be a cheap addition to a team who could use some additional playmaking talent in a middle-six spot, even if he may not be the most stout defensive forward.

Kailer Yamamoto, RW

Yamamoto may not have the resume (134 points in 303 games) or the size (5-foot-8) that Wheeler possesses, but the fleet-footed winger could be an intriguing PTO candidate if Boston is banking on upside in new surroundings.

Yamamoto — drafted 22nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017 — has struggled to develop into a consistent scoring threat at the NHL level. He did light the lamp 20 times and posted 41 points over 81 games with the Oilers in 2021-22, but things have gone downhill since then.

The Spokane, Washington native had a season to forget with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24, scoring eight goals and 16 points over 59 games while averaging 11:59 of ice time per contest.

It remains to be seen what type of player the 25-year-old Yamamoto is at the NHL level in 2024-25, but the Bruins also have developed a promising track record of getting more out of players in elevated roles, such as Morgan Geekie this past winter.

Tyler Johnson, C

Much like Yamamoto, Johnson isn’t exactly an imposing figure at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds.

But the 34-year-old forward has carved out a reputation as a steady scorer who can add some punch to a team’s third line. A valuable depth option on the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2012-21, Johnson won two Cups with the Bolts while recording 361 points over 589 games with the club.

His best season came in 2014-15 with Tampa, with Johnson scoring 29 goals and posting 72 points over 77 games. He’s no longer a top-six fixture at this point of his career, but he posted 63 points (29 goals, 34 assists) over the last two seasons (123 games) on a bad Blackhawks roster.

If the Bruins have some concerns over Matt Poitras and his ability to anchor a starting spot at center in 2024-25, Johnson could be a veteran replacement at 3C — or a player who can fill in when needed on the wing.

Max Pacioretty, LW

Pacioretty is forever linked to the Bruins after Zdeno Chara smashed the then-Habs winger into a stanchion during a game in March 2011 — prompting an investigation from Montreal police.

That resulting drama might be the first thing that comes to mind for Bruins fans when it comes to Pacioretty, but the New Canaan, Connecticut native developed into one of the more consistent goal scorers in the league over the past decade.

Pacioretty, 35, has six 30-goal seasons on his resume, including a career-best 39 with Montreal in 2013-14. But injuries have severely hampered Pacioretty over the last few seasons, with the talented winger limited to just 91 games over the last three seasons with Golden Knights, Hurricanes, and Capitals.

Those injury woes, including two torn Achilles suffered in the same season with Carolina, understandably will lead to concerns over how much Pacioretty has left in the tank at this point. The left wing also doesn’t have a clear landing spot in Boston’s top-six unit, unless the Bruins plan on shifting Pavel Zacha over to center.

Still, Pacioretty’s low value and his knack for finding the back of the net could make him an appealing option for a Bruins team who labored last season with capitalizing on the many high-danger scoring chances they generated.

Kevin Labanc, RW

Labanc is another player who is due for a change of scenery.

The 28-year-old winger struggled to find any sort of traction on a dreadful Sharks team last season, scoring just two goals and seven assists over 46 games — sporting a minus-27 rating over that stretch.

The New York native has only recorded 76 points over the last four seasons with San Jose (194 games), but he did score 17 goals and post 56 total points as a 23-year-old lineup regular during the 2018-19 season.

Granted, that was five full seasons ago — and it might be asking a lot for Labanc to come anywhere close to that scoring threshold again. Still, even with some recent injury woes and a dip in production, Labanc feels like the type of low-risk addition that several teams will looking to bring aboard on a PTO in the coming weeks.