Boston Bruins reportedly looking to offer two veteran players professional tryouts

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Cooper Godin
August 20, 2024 (7:31)

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The Boston Bruins are reportedly looking to bring back a former forward on professional tryout contract this fall.

Throughout the coming weeks, teams will be looking to the free agent market to see what options are available to round out their rosters ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and some of those players will be signed to professional tryout contracts (PTO).

So far, only two players have signed PTOs, those being Logan Brown with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jakub Vrana with the Washington Capitals, but it appears that the Boston Bruins may be looking to bring in a player or two on professional tryouts.

According to Shawn Hutcheon of The Fourth Period, the Boston Bruins are reportedly considering submitting offers to free agent forwards Blake Wheeler and Kailer Yamamoto to join them at training camp on PTOs.

Wheeler, 37, is someone the Boston Bruins organization and fan base is very familiar with. After being drafted fifth overall by the Coyotes in 2004, Wheeler went off to play in the NCAA and decided not to sign with them once his third year concluded, making him an unrestricted free agent. Wheeler then signed with the Bruins on July 1st, 2008 and spent parts of his first three seasons in the NHL with Boston before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers.

This past season, Wheeler played for the New York Rangers after having his contract bought out by the Winnipeg Jets. In 54 games, the Plymouth, Minnesota native registered 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists), 23 penalty minutes and was a plus-two.

As for Kailer Yamamoto, he spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Seattle Kraken after the Edmonton Oilers dealt him to Detroit, who then bought out his contract, making him a UFA on July 1st last year. Yamamoto didn't have the greatest year offensively, seeing his production dip by 36% percent in 2023-24 when compared to the 2022-23 season. In 59 games, the Spokane, Washington native had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists), 18 penalty minutes and was a minus-nine.

We'll have to wait and see which direction the Bruins go on the PTO/free agent market, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Don Sweeney bring in at least a player or two for some depth for Boston's forward group.