Bruins Rumors: Forbort’s time in Boston coming to an end

After a three-year run with the Boston Bruins, it appears that defenseman Derek Forbort will be moving on this summer.

Per @TheFourthPeriod, Derek Forbort will test free agency on July 1 and will not return to the #NHLBruins #GetBent pic.twitter.com/OAlPPK0Lqh
— Bruins Benders Podcast (@BruinsBenders) June 5, 2024

Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that Forbort will indeed become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and will not be returning to Boston.

It was a difficult season in Beantown for Forbort, as the 32-year-old spent a large chunk of the season on long-term injured reserve and was only able to suit up for 35 games. He had groin surgery as well as thumb surgery in March, which took him out of action until May, when he was able to play in three playoff games.

When he was on the ice, Forbort's impact on the penalty kill was reduced from previous seasons, and now at age 32, his best shut-down years on the blueline could be behind him.

Nevertheless, at 6'4", 208 pounds, he can still throw his body around and will hand out triple-digits in hits in a full season, and should garner some interest on the market as a third-pairing or depth defense-first blueliner.

And while he insists he loved his time in Boston, the Bruins have several other key decisions to make with free agents around the roster, and it's highly doubtful that Forbort will be any sort of priority for them.

The Minnesota native was selected with the 15th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, where he spent his first three full seasons in the league as a solid contributor on the back line, playing over 20 minutes a night.

He just completed a 3-year, $3M AAV contract.