On Tuesday, the Kings cleared $5.625 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, by playing their part in the three-way Ivan Provorov trade with the Flyers and Blue Jackets. It gives general manager Rob Blake freedom to potentially re-sign Vladislav Gavrikov, once on the Bruins’ wish list before they pivoted to Dmitry Orlov.
Blake paid for it.
To foist down-in-the-dumps goalie Cal Petersen ($5 million average annual value) and 28-year-old depth defenseman Sean Walker ($2.65 million) on the Flyers, Blake also had to send Philadelphia a 2024 second-round pick and 2020 second-rounder Helge Grans.
Blake also had to retain 30 percent of Provorov’s $6.75 million AAV, meaning the Kings will carry $2.025 million of Provorov’s cap hit for each of the next two seasons.
The deal, then, helps provide a price range for the Bruins if they want to make a similar move for cap flexibility: high.
The Bruins are up against it. Commissioner Gary Bettman said before the start of the Stanley Cup Final that the 2023-24 cap will rise by approximately $1 million, to $83.5 million. The Bruins will be subject to a $4.5 million overage penalty because of Patrice Bergeron’s and David Krejci’s performance bonuses.
As such, general manager Don Sweeney, prior to any salary-clearing moves, could have as little as $5.5 million of cap space to accommodate raises for Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic and Jakub Lauko and to fill out the rest of the roster. That would be an impossible task.
Sweeney may have to execute multiple Kings-like transactions to achieve his required cap flexibility.
In one way, Blake’s movement signals an open lane for Sweeney. The Bruins have several defensemen who fit Walker’s profile, including 31-year-old Derek Forbort, his former L.A. teammate. Like Walker, Forbort has one year left on his contract ($3 million).
Say what you want about Mike Reilly, 29, spending most of 2022-23 in Providence. But Reilly’s AHL burial had more to do with his surroundings — four other left-shot defensemen on one-way contracts — than performance. Reilly also has one year remaining ($3 million).
Then you have Matt Grzelcyk, 29, also one year away from unrestricted free agency, and making $3,687,500. Unlike Forbort and Reilly, Grzelcyk is a slam-dunk top-four NHL defenseman who drives offense and suppresses opposing attacks. While size will always be an issue, the 5-foot-10, 176-pound Grzelcyk brings a skill set that aligns with modern defending.
The Kings trade also signals that a millstone contract like Petersen’s can be unanchored. For whatever reason, the former Notre Dame goalie — a college teammate of ex-Bruin Anders Bjork — lost his way this past season. Petersen posted an .868 save percentage over 10 NHL appearances in 2022-23 after coming into the season with a .908 career save percentage over his previous 91 appearances.
The Kings had no choice but to waive Petersen and send him to the AHL. He didn’t gain that much traction under ex-Bruin Marco Sturm’s watch in Ontario either (.904 save percentage in 40 games).
Whether Petersen will revive his game and re-enter the NHL with the rebuilding Flyers is unknown. This is Philly, after all. But that is no longer Blake’s concern.
None of the Bruins’ contracts qualify as a Petersen-like hindrance. Taylor Hall ($6 million), for example, is the Bruins’ No. 2 left wing and a top-liner on some rosters. He would be an impact player for any team at a salary that aligns with his projected production. You could not say the same for Walker or Petersen.
But in another way, Blake’s path may not serve as a trailblazer for Sweeney. The Kings are far richer in picks and prospects than the Bruins.
Even if Grans (two goals and nine points in 52 games for Ontario in 2022-23) gains blue-line traction with the Flyers, the Kings have 20-year-old Brandt Clarke pushing on the right side. Clarke, the No. 8 pick in 2021, will be a first-year pro in 2023-24 after scoring 61 points in 31 games for Barrie of the OHL in 2022-23. The Kings have first-rounders in 2024 and 2025 and second-rounders in 2023 and 2025.
The Bruins, in comparison, have one pro-ready prospect on defense: Mason Lohrei, their 2020 second-round selection. Lohrei, 22, is practically off limits because of his ceiling and because of the organization’s otherwise limited back-end prospects.
As for picks, the Bruins are short on those too. They will not draft in either of the first two rounds later this month in Nashville. They don’t have a 2024 first-rounder. They won’t pick in the second round until 2026.
Trade partners for the Bruins still exist. The rebuilding Blackhawks, Ducks and Coyotes have books free enough to take on salary.
Whether the Bruins can meet their costs remains to be seen.
(Top photo of Taylor Hall, Connor Clifton, Charlie Coyle, Derek Forbort and Nick Foligno: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)