Kevin Shattenkirk was almost a Bruin 16 years ago, and now he gets his chance

In the 2017 deal, St. Louis received a package that included Zach Sanford and a first-round pick. The pick ended up in a package for Brayden Schenn. Schenn and Sanford were both valuable in the Blues' march to the Cup in 2019 over Boston. The former remains a top-six fixture, signed for the long haul.

Meanwhile, the Bruins turned those two 2016 firsts into cornerstone Charlie McAvoy and key depth in Trent Frederic. Pastrnak is one of the game's superstars.

Apparently, Boston's interest goes as far back as the 2007 draft. 

"It's funny. It seems like there's been opportunities and discussions [with the Bruins] along the way," Shattenkirk said over Zoom on Wednesday. "Even going back to when I was drafted, I thought Boston was going to be where I ended up."

Shattenkirk, then entering his freshman year at Boston University, wound up going to Colorado with the 14th overall selection. The Avs eventually packaged him to St. Louis for the 2006 No. 1 pick, Erik Johnson, another move that paid off for all involved. 

Meanwhile, with the eighth overall pick in 2007, the B's took center Zach Hamill, who could never stick in the NHL with Boston (4a in 20 games over three seasons), spending most of his career in the AHL and Europe. 

Nevertheless, all roads wound up leading Shattenkirk back to Boston, where he won a national title with BU in 2009, totaling 78 points (18 goals) in 121 games across three seasons with Jack Parker's Terriers. 

Shattenkirk has been back during most offseasons, whether for weddings or a reunion with the national title team on its 10-year anniversary, in addition to shorter road trips to face the B's during the season. He's enjoyed visiting Comm. Ave and seeing what's changed and what's remained the same at BU over the years.

Now, the 34-year-old is ready for the full experience.

"I'm looking forward to getting back in, kind of approaching it in a different way and obviously playing for the Bruins," he said. "I remember how sacred that was when I was at school, but also, you know, living there now with a family and having two kids and being able to explore the city in a different way and grow into it. 

"So, it's a place that I really cherished when I was in college and still have a soft spot for. I'm really looking forward to getting back."

That "sacred" aura around playing for Bruins impacted the blue-liner as a young player in the city and eventually in his decision to sign a one-year, $1.05 million contract to don the spoked-B. He was in Boston for the 2011 Stanley Cup parade, having returned to BU for a summer semester towards his degree after turning pro the previous offseason. 

Elsa/Getty Images

BOSTON - JANUARY 08: Kevin Shattenkirk #3 of the Boston University Terriers takes the puck from Cam Atkinson #13 of the Boston College Eagles on January 8, 2010 during the Sun Life Frozen Fenway Hockey Game at the Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers defeated the Eagles 3-2. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

After his stint with his hometown Rangers, the New Rochelle, NY, native understands the weight and reach that Original 6 franchises carry.

"Boston is certainly in that same pedigree," Shattenkirk said. "I had a lot of battles with my teammates in college, a lot of local Massachusetts kids who are huge B's fans, and obviously me being from New York, we were constantly watching Rangers-Boston games, chirping each other and the rest of it. So, I think as a player, you want to play for a team, play for an organization that has tradition. that has passionate fans. You feel that every time you come into the Garden as an opponent. 

"I think that, for me, is what I thrive off of. Something I really look forward to is seeing a packed building every night and fans that are gonna wear everything on their sleeves and force you to be your best self on the ice."

The right-hander is entering a strong network of familiarity, especially in terms of fellow BU alumni like assistant coach Joe Sacco, Charlie Coyle, Matt Grzelcyk, A.J. Greer or Charlie McAvoy, who's previously trained with Shattenkirk at times during the summers around New York. There are other connections that have been made in passing, whether in the COVID bubble or elsewhere. 

One that's already emerged is that of Brad Marchand, who could be in line to assume the captaincy if Patrice Bergeron does not return. 

"I've always had tremendous respect for [Marchand]. ... He has the ability to obviously get under your skin verbally and affect you that way, but then he also backs it up when you look at the score sheet at the end of the night," Shattenkirk said. "He was one of the first calls that I got after I signed. He was the first one to extend his hand, offering any sort of help that he and his wife could for our family. I know how much he means to this organization, and I’m really looking forward to being on the same team as him finally."

Shattenkirk, tabbed to fill Connor Clifton's vacancy on the right side of the third pair, understands the collective undertaking needed in replacing Bergeron and David Krejci, should one or both opt for retirement. He feels able to step up alongside Marchand with anything he "can do to help out from a leadership perspective."

He understands he's no longer the prized offensive catalyst he once was, going back to his St. Louis days. Still, the 6-foot, 212-pounder is still effective both at even strength and the power play. 

His possession numbers expectedly suffered as the Ducks bottomed out the last two seasons, making him a prime candidate for the classic case study (along with James van Riemsdyk) of getting a player with a previously strong track record out of a losing situation and back to a strong system. Shattenkirk also shoots the puck at a high rate, averaging 3.71 attempts per game last season with the Ducks and 4.02 over the course of his career. All but eight of his points came at even strength last season, despite averaging 1:50 of power play time per game. 

As his role has evolved, the 13-year veteran also knows the physical ask of a third-pair defenseman, even if he is hardly the cowboy that Clifton was. Shattenkirk has not and never will be considered a bruiser, but he recorded 79 hits with Anaheim last season, his highest total since 2016-17. In his last foray into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that 2020 march to the Cup with the Lightning in which he played an ancillary part, Shattenkirk delivered 54 hits (2.16 per game). 

He realizes the role that will be asked of him in Boston, slotting in on that third spot on the right side with the chance to play on the power play. 

"I know that I'm probably a third-pair guy," Shattenkirk said. "Certainly, if there's any need for me to jump up and fill in via injury or whatever it might be, I'm capable of doing that. Playing minutes there 5-on-5 and slotting in on the second power play, being able to run that and hopefully being able to add a little depth to the team."

Shattenkirk, who played with Hampus Lindholm for a season and a half in Anaheim and is already familiar with McAvoy, has already spoken with Jim Montgomery about how he can be a resource to the thoroughbreds Boston already has on the blue line. 

"There are two really Norris-caliber defensemen there, and they're still growing into their expectations as players," Shattenkirk said. "I think being able to be a sounding board for them, especially in that kind of role, a power play role or whatever, it's something we discussed and something that is kind of expected of me. So, I've done it before and it'd be very similar I think to kind of my role in Tampa when I went there for a year."

His experience on and off the ice was valuable in a young Anaheim core, where he had 27 points (4g) in 75 games this past season and 77 points (14g) in 212 games over the length of his three-year contract, averaging top-four minutes (19:18 in 2022-23; 20:37 from 2020-23). 

That, coupled with a role more akin to the one he excelled in as a Cup winner with the Bolts, has the Bruins feeling Shattenkirk could pay off as a bargain-bin signing, especially with the prospect of battling for the playoffs in front of him once again. 

"Don Sweeney called us and kind of laid out his thoughts on me and how I fit with the team, and just kind of unfolded that way," Shattenkirk said of negotiations with Boston. "Honestly, it was it was pretty organic. The opportunity and the fit were what really appealed to me. Getting back to a team that's a Stanley Cup contender was exciting. I've kind of lost that over the last three years, being in more of a rebuilding situation. So, getting excited about that again is great and something that I think every hockey player will tell you that it's the most important thing. So, you know, that is really what enticed me and ultimately led me to this decision."

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Bruins sign Lauko, Keyser; Swayman, Frederic and Mitchell file for arbitration

The Bruins signed a pair of restricted free agents Wednesday afternoon.

Forward Jakub Lauko inked a two-year deal with an NHL cap hit of $787,500. The first season is a two-way deal, and it will become a one-way deal in 2024-25. 

Goaltender Kyle Keyser, who has been in Providence the last two seasons, signed a one-year deal with an NHL cap hit of $775,000.

Meanwhile, fellow RFAs in goaltender Jeremy Swayman, forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Ian Mitchell filed for arbitration. 

RFA goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Alec Regula no not have arbitration rights. Center Marc McLaughlin and defenseman Reilly Walsh have arbitration rights but did not file. The team deadline to file is Thursday at 5 p.m.

BSJ Analysis...

On Lauko and Keyser...

• Keyser is organizational depth to play with Brandon Bussi in Providence. The 24-year-old, originally undrafted, did well splitting the crease with Bussi last year. If he cracks an NHL roster at some point, it likely will not be in Boston. 
• Lauko coming in at essentially a veteran minimum could turn out to be tremendous value for Boston as the 23-year-old is in line to carve out a bottom-six role this season. 
• In what was almost exclusively a fourth-line capacity with little special teams action, save for a nibble on the penalty kill, Lauko put up four goals and three assists for seven points in his 23 games. His 0.30 points per game were higher than his peers in the same role: Tomas Nosek (0.27 in 66 games), Garnet Hathaway (0.24 in 25 games with Boston) and A.J. Greer (0.20 in 61 games), albeit in a much more limited sample. He beat out Craig Smith, who had 0.24 points per game in 42 games before being shipped out to cut costs in the deal for Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. 
• Lauko embraced his role as an energetic checker and agitator in the bottom six. He was impactful along the boards and below the goal line. He drew 11 penalties in total during the regular season, leading the NHL in penalties drawn per 60 minutes (3.24), among players with at least 20 games played.

On arbitration and the rest...

• Bear in mind, this does not mean arbitration will happen. This can be the impetus to get a deal done quickly to avoid that. Oftentimes, it's preferred by players and teams to avoid arbitration. For lack of a better term, feelings can get hurt inadvertently as teams try to counteract why they shouldn't pay the player what's asking for. It's business that they want to avoid. 
• Don Sweeney said last week when talking about Swayman that all sides hope to avoid it getting to the arbitration hearing. 
• Boston has in the neighborhood of $6.2 million to dish out. Swayman could ask for something in the neighborhood that Spencer Knight got ($4.5 million), or maybe even higher. After a breakout 17-goal season, Frederic could be asking for between $2 and 3 million. 
• Interested to see what sort of arbitration case Mitchell might have for himself. He only has 82 games of NHL experience under his belt spread across three seasons. All of it came in a depth or reserve role.
• McLaughlin and Walsh should come in at little money like Lauko, as should DiPietro and Regula. Not worried there. Bruins can still opt for arbitration themselves before Thursday's deadline.