Because of their cap constraints, the Boston Bruins have had to be strategic in their additions in the past year. They have primarily depended on placing wagers on older players or those who had not yet fully established themselves, offering them inexpensive contracts, and watching to see if it pans out. Fortunately, it has in the 2023–2024 season. Danton Heinen and James van Riemsdyk are two excellent instances of this, but Morgan Geekie has really grabbed my attention lately.
A $4 million, two-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $2 million was inked for the 25-year-old Canadian. Don Sweeney and the management staff saw potential in him because he was the lone player signed at the beginning of free agency in 2023 and awarded a two-year contract. In light of their precarious cap situation, it was also the largest free agency contract the Bruins ever awarded.
Geekie has surpassed everyone’s expectations in 2023–2024. He has developed into a fairly reliable middle-six center and has already achieved career highs in goals and points for a season. The Bruins have been able to garner more production from all four lines this season and last, as opposed to only depending on their top line for points. It has been a major factor in their success over the past two seasons, and Geekie has undoubtedly contributed to that success.
NHL Career Before the Bruins
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Geekie in the third round of the 2017 draft. There was optimism about him in Raleigh following a strong career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and a successful professional debut in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Charlotte Checkers. season 73 games for the Checkers season 2018–19, he scored 19 goals and pulled down 46 points. In two Hurricanes games during the 2019–20 season, he made his NHL debut with three goals and four points.
But Geekie never managed to establish himself as a regular starter for the Hurricanes. He was not quite playing up to the expectations placed on him the previous season, as he finished with just three goals and nine points in 36 NHL games. After going undrafted in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, he was chosen by the NHL’s newest team, where he would have a lot more chances to prove himself and develop his career because of the team’s makeup.
Geekie found his feet in two seasons with the Kraken, while never surpassing the 10-goal threshold in a season. He spent the majority of his time on the fourth line and skated for 10 to 12 minutes per night. Despite this, he finished the previous season with 28 points in 69 games. Given his large stature (6 feet 3 inches) and strong faceoff record (averaging 50.9% in Seattle), the Bruins were wise to sign him to a modest, “show me” contract at the beginning of free agency. It was just a matter of giving it an opportunity to be realized.
Boston’s success
People frequently use the phrase “versatility” to describe Geekie, and in 2023–2024, he put it on full show with the Bruins. He has played with a range of teammates and at center and wing as well as second and third line. He has proven to be the player who can perform well wherever in the lineup. On numerous occasions, he has shown on the ice that he can make the perfect play when it counts most, even on nights when he does not score any points.
In his NHL career, Geekie is having his best hockey game to date. He’s got 33 points, 18 assists, and 15 goals. Much of that has to do with the fact that he has more opportunities in Boston than he had with his prior teams. He is currently averaging fifteen minutes a night on the ice, which is five minutes more than he did in Seattle the previous season. Because of this, he now has 103 shots in a season, surpassing his previous career best of 97, and his shooting percentage of 14.6% is the highest it has ever been in a season in which he played more than 10 NHL games.
Though generally speaking, the Bruins have been having trouble in that area lately, his game could stand to be better at the faceoff dot. He consistently seems to find new methods to succeed.
For the Bruins in 2023–24, the third line of Trent Frederic, Geekie, and van Riemsdyk has generally been a game-changer. This season, all three of these individuals have improved each other’s games. Similar to Geekie, Frederic has already surpassed his career best in points and equaled the number of goals scored in the previous season (17), and van Riemsdyk has recovered from a dismal 2022–23 season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Bruins’ attack now relies mostly on Geekie, who has outperformed expectations in his performance. He has made the most of his chance in Boston. In their recent victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, the defending Stanley Cup champions, he scored his first NHL hat trick. He has worked really hard this season, and it is showing on the ice.
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