Sure looks like Carl Soderberg, who tied for third on the Bruins in points last year, is on his way out of town.
Following reports from earlier this month that Soderberg wouldn’t be re-signing in Boston, GM Don Sweeney met with the media on Friday and all but confirmed it:Sweeney referenced possibility of Carl Soderberg being back: “Highly unlikely at this point in time that that will be happening”
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 19, 2015
Soderberg, who turns 30 in October, scored 48 and 44 points in his first two full seasons with the Bruins after spending the early parts of his professional career in the Swedish Hockey League. He emerged as a dependable forward for Claude Julien last year, averaging nearly 17 minutes per night, and proved a fairly solid contributor during Boston’s ’14 playoff run, scoring six points in 12 games.
It’s not entirely surprising Soderberg is headed to market. The Bruins are in the midst of a cap crunch -- to that end, Sweeney said they have a cheaper replacement in house in Joonas Kemppainen, a “player of a similar nature” signed out of the Finnish League earlier this offseason.
Soderberg’s probably keen to test the waters of what looks like a thin UFA class. He averaged just a shade over $1 million annually on his last deal, and is in line for a raise.
Soderberg has also reportedly been tied to Swiss League club HC Lugano, though his agent denied the move back in April.