The NHL‘s free agency is a box full of surprises. Every franchise shuffles through the mix and hope for the best. The Boston Bruins dreamed of bringing Brad Marchand back, but the veteran won’t leave the Florida Panthers until he turns 43 years old. Therefore, the B’s sense not much to lose and are taking a massive bet on a former Tampa Bay Lightning bust.
The Bruins are trying to help an NHLer rediscover his best form after years of struggling performances. Boston has seen Tampa Bay and Florida work their magic in recent years and and they’re determined to follow suit.
The Panthers have been the talk of the town in the NHL—not just because of their back-to-back Stanley Cups, but for how they’ve helped players turn it up a notch in Sunrise. Brad Marchand has seen it firsthand, turning back the clock with vintage, dominant performances. Now, he doesn’t want to play anywhere else.
As much as it hurts Boston, the Bruins know they must move on. On that note, the Spoked B has announced the signing of a surprising name—one whose recent stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning is widely remembered as one of the worst trades in recent NHL history.
The Bruins have signed free-agent Tanner Jeannot on a five-year, $17M contract. The 28-year-old will be under contract through the 2029-30 NHL season while carrying an annual cap hit of $3.4M.
Head-scratching memory
Jeannot is mostly remembered in the NHL for being part of the Lightning’s disastrous trade during the 2022-23 season. Then with the Nashville Predators, Jeannot was sent to Tampa Bay in a massive deal. The Lightning gave up Cal Foote and five draft picks: a 2025 first-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and 2023 third-, fourth-, and fifth-round selections.
Jeannot’s time in Tampa was short-lived. He spent one and a half seasons with the Bolts, recording just 18 points in 75 games. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he played the final season of his two-year contract before becoming a UFA.
New scenery
Now, he joins the fourth team of his career, hoping for much better results. The Bruins have taken a big leap of faith by handing Jeannot a five-year contract. It’s now up to the forward to replicate the form he showed in the 2021-22 season, when he set career highs in goals, assists, and points.