What Happened
The Boston Bruins are signing forward Marat Khusnutdinov to a three-year contract extension carrying a $3.95-million cap hit, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. Khusnutdinov, 24, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July. He is in the second season of his Bruins tenure after arriving from Minnesota in a March 2025 trade, and he has two goals and five points through 10 games this season.
Key Details
- Extension is three years at a $3.95-million cap hit, per Kaplan's report.
- Khusnutdinov has two goals and five points in 10 games this season.
- He set career highs with 15 goals and 33 points in 77 games last season.
- His current cap hit is $925,000; he was set for RFA status with arbitration rights.
- Boston got him from Minnesota in March 2025 with Jakub Lauko and a sixth-round pick for Justin Brazeau.
- Minnesota drafted the Russian forward 37th overall in 2020.
What It Means
The deal buys out Khusnutdinov's remaining restricted free agency years and locks in cost certainty on a middle-six forward at a modest cap number. Since arriving from Minnesota, he has moved into a regular role in Boston, and last season's 15-goal output marked his most productive NHL campaign. The extension reflects the club's willingness to commit to him beyond his entry-level earning level.
What's Next
The Bruins have not announced the extension, and the club would need to finalize and register the contract. Khusnutdinov continues the season in Boston, where his production will be measured against the new cap figure.