After acquiring Rick Nash from the New York Rangers in a blockbuster deal Sunday morning, the Bruins signed Team USA Olympic Captain Brian Gionta to a $700,000 deal for the remainder of the season.
Gionta won’t make nearly as significant of an impact as Rick Nash would but he still provides solid depth for the Bruins, especially since Boston recently traded away Ryan Spooner.
The USA captain didn’t have the greatest of Olympic performances—he recorded 16 shots on goal but failed to score a point. He was also -5 on the ice. This isn’t a huge concern, however, as Gionta is likely to be a third or fourth line guy while with the Bruins and should provide some solid depth minutes.
As seen in Pyeongchang over the last several weeks, Gionta doesn’t score very often but he does have the ability to help sustain offensive shifts.
Gionta has 15 years of NHL experience under his belt and during the 2016-2017 season, he tallied 35 points for the Buffalo Sabres. Adding Gionta to the roster isn’t exactly a splash, but it adds depth to the Bruins roster, which is something that will be critical come playoff time.
The Olympic captain failed to lock down the gold medal this year, so perhaps he’s hoping the Bruins can help him walk away from the NHL as a Stanley Cup champion.
