NFL-NEWS: According to ESPN, the Boston Bruins have officially confirmed that they have acquired the top left wing of the New York Rangers. After lengthy discussions, a 2-year, $17.6 million contract was agreed upon because of…..

One of the cardinal sins of NHL contract negotiations is splashing cash based on a strong playoff performance. Remember Bryan Bickell? Ten or twenty games isn’t enough to justify a big-money deal, but every offseason, GMs throw on their rose-colored glasses and pay a premium for supposed winners. The boneheaded tradition seemed to continue when free agency opened on Canada Day.

Elias Lindholm’s 44 points were his fewest since 2017-18 and should have taken a bite out of his salary as a UFA. The 29-year-old struggled to find his footing after a high-profile trade from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks and finished the year on the third line. Then, when it mattered most, Lindholm rediscovered his offensive game with 5 goals and 10 points in 13 postseason contests. All was forgiven, and the Swede signed a 7-year, $54.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins.

Nikita Zadorov, Lindhom’s teammate for most of the past three seasons, asked out of Calgary last fall due to a lack of ice time (18:24 ATOI) only to log even less (17:00) in Vancouver. It’s easy to forget the big Russian with the big personality has never really been a top-four guy, but he played like one in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zadorov’s bone-jarring checks and surprising offense (4 G, 8 P in 13 GP) bought him a six-year, $30-million ticket to Boston and another reunion with Lindholm.