The Boston Bruins have signed forward Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. The Bruins have also signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a six-year contract with a $5 million AAV.

The Bruins receive: Lindholm, an effective two-way center who can check many boxes from a real-life perspective. He may not seem like a true #1 center, but he was likely the best available center on the market. Lindholm seems unlikely to match his career high of 82 points, set two seasons ago in Calgary. Yet this is an ideal situation for him, as he will be a top-6 center for the Bruins and even seems like a top-line center for David Pastrnak.

The Bruins used Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha as their top two centers in 2023-24. However, Zacha could be moved to left wing to accommodate Lindholm, while Pastrnak, Lindholm, and either Zacha or Brad Marchand form the Bruins' top line. Coyle could center a second line with Trent Frederic and one of Zacha or Marchand. In his career season, Lindholm centered Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk to 100-point seasons, so Lindholm and Pastrnak could form an effective duo.  

Lindholm has also been a first-unit power-play option throughout his career, so that shouldn't change in Boston. That means that one of Zacha or Coyle could be kept off the Bruins' top power play. Probably Coyle, who has never received more than 50 percent of his team's power-play minutes in any one season.

The 6-6 Zadorov does not post big offensive numbers, but he provides bangers league value with hits and penalty minutes. He should also be an entertaining player for the Bruins faithful.

Players this helps, in order:

Lindholm

Pastrnak

Players this hurts, in order:

Coyle

Zacha

Discuss the signing in this thread on the Forum.