The Boston Bruins have begun the process of parting ways with forward Oskar Steen, one of many free agents who will inevitably be moved on by the team this summer. According to Joakim Persson, who spoke with the Swedish news site Värmlands Folkblad, Steen’s agent, as reported by Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, the Bruins notified Steen that he will not be retained and that he is free to talk with other teams.
In 2023–24, Steen had a career-high 34 games played with the Bruins, but he scored just once. Steen spent the remainder of the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Providence after being placed on waivers in February; he was demoted to that level since he remained unclaimed. With only 60 games played over four seasons in the NHL, 26-year-old Steen is regarded as a Group 6 UFA.
Steen made his NHL debut in 2021 after being selected by the Bruins in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Despite seeing limited action as a depth forward for the Bruins, he managed to rack up eight points (4 goals) during his tenure there.
The number of NHL teams interested in signing Steen as a free agent is unlikely to be high considering his production and the lack of attention he garnered while he was on waivers. Instead, the forward appears to have a far better chance of signing with an AHL team or an international team. The Bruins have a number of Group 6 UFA prospects, including Steen, Reilly Walsh (defense), and Kyle Keiser (goaltending). When the NHL free agency begins on July 1, the Bruins will have a projected salary cap space of $23.86 million, according to Puckpedia.
