Former defenseman with the Boston Bruins might become available once again.
Originally published by Matt Barry on Inside The Rink. Last modified on June 16, 24.
Many Boston Bruins supporters were disappointed by the team’s departure of defenseman Torey Krug, who guided the team to two Stanley Cup Final appearances, on October 9, 2020. Nevertheless, Krug’s deal with the Bruins was a prior offer after the former Michigan State standout turned down one, and the salary budget hit at the time was a high $6.5 million.
When his new deal with the St. Louis Blues expired seven years later, the question on everyone’s mind was whether the 5-foot-9, 185-pound left-shot defenceman would still be useful. Although losing Krug was difficult, in the summer of 2024, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney appeared to have made the correct choice.
The Blues are now considering a buyout of Krug’s contract following two disappointing seasons in which he suffered injury problems and finished with a total minus-56. With three years left on his contract and a no-trade clause, the undrafted free agent is extremely difficult to deal. On the other hand, clubs will undoubtedly look into the services of a guy who is a competent power-play quarterback with postseason experience if they buy out Krug and bear the associated costs.
Will the Bruins get in touch with Krug to see if they can sign him to a cheap, short-term contract so he can return to Boston? Over the course of 523 regular season games with Boston, Krug had a strong performance, tallying 277 assists and 67 goals with a plus-23 rating. Additionally, Krug scored 161 power play points.
In 77 games this season, Krug played over 22 minutes per game on the ice and only had 13 power-play assists. He was also a minus-31. Although Krug’s age of 33 is working against him, the product of Livonia, Michigan, may still be a third-pair defenseman in Boston behind Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei. Boston struggled with the man advantage this season, so it could make sense to have Krug play less 5-on-5 minutes with some power play time.
Boston may make a bid for the Blues if they let go of Torey Krug, especially because Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort are also departing as unrestricted free agents. Boston can only justify signing Krug if the agreement is for a one-year, low-paying contract.
