Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins Sign RFA Zboril, UFA’s McKegg And Booth
Just four days after Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney hinted that he may look internally to fill out the left side of the Bruins blue line, Sweeney has given restricted free agent defenseman Jakub Zboril a new one-way, two-year contract worth $1.4 million that carries an annual cap hit of $725,000.
In addition to Zboril, the Boston Bruins announced that they have signed unrestricted free agent forward Greg McKegg to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $700,000 and UFA goaltender Callum Booth to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $700,000.
Zboril, 23, was drafted by the Boston Bruins 13th overall at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He has played the last three seasons in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and has just two NHL games under his belt with both coming during the 2018-19 NHL regular season. In 58 games with Providence this past season, Zboril had three goals and a career-high 16 assists. He also has had a career-best plus-20 rating. He finished the season ranked second among the team’s blueliners in scoring and third on the team in plus/minus. In three seasons in Providence, Zboril has 46 helpers and has lit the lamp 11 times with a plus-35 rating. The 6-foot, 200-pound rearguard is currently playing on loan to Brno Kometa in the Czech League.
McKegg, 28 had five goals and four assists in 53 games for the New York Rangers this past season. The 6-foot, 192-pound rugged forward has 18 goals and 15 assists in 185 career NHL games with the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also has two goals in 18 career postseason games. McKegg was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (62nd overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Booth, 23, split time last season between the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. In 15 career AHL games with Charlotte, The 6-foot-3, 187-pound goaltender was 7-4-0 with a 2.54 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. In 60 career ECHL games, Booth was 36-19-4 with three shutouts, a 2.66 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. Booth was originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (93rd overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.