The Bruins have a blue line problem, and GM Don Sweeney knows it. Tampa Bay's Darren Raddysh is one of the most talked-about free-agent names in the league this offseason.

The 30-year-old had a legitimate breakout season in 2025-26, posting 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games for the Lightning.

That ranked third among all NHL defensemen in goals. Seventh in points. On a team that had Victor Hedman miss a significant stretch of the year.

Boston finished 45-27-10, good for 100 points. But the defensive corps behind Charlie McAvoy was exposed, and the offense generated from the blue line was noticeably thin all season.

The Bruins ranked 18th in the NHL in goals by defensemen with 36. That number tells a story by itself.

Raddysh's offensive upside could solve a real Boston problem

McAvoy has a $9.5 million cap hit. Hampus Lindholm is at $6.5 million and will turn 33 in January. What sits behind them on the right side is thin.

Raddysh's ability to hammer the puck from the blue line and run a man advantage would be a genuine upgrade. He put up 10 power-play goals and 26 power-play points last season.

Think of it like the Red Sox handing J.D. Martinez a deal at 30. It looked like a gamble on a late bloomer. Martinez then gave them some of the best seasons of his career.

But here's the uncomfortable part. Raddysh had never topped 37 points in a season before 2023-24. His previous career high in goals was six.

Was 2025-26 the real Raddysh, or was it the product of skating alongside Nikita Kucherov on a loaded Tampa power play? That's not a small question.

The projection on his next contract is around $8 million annually, and some analysts have it higher depending on the bidding war he attracts.

Boston's cap situation is already carrying Elias Lindholm at $7.75 million after a season where he managed 17 goals and 48 points in 69 games. That's not the production you want attached to that number.

Sweeney has roughly $15.4 million in projected cap space to work with. Enough to sign Raddysh, technically. But add in any other roster holes and that room disappears fast.

The Bruins also have forwards on the way. James Hagens is in the system at $975,000 on his entry deal. Fraser Minten played all 82 games this season. The forward pipeline has depth.

The defensive pipeline? Not the same answer.

If Sweeney dips into a trade instead, moving first-round picks or young forwards for an established blueliner means stripping out assets the organization has spent years accumulating.

Head coach Marco Sturm is entering just his second season behind the Boston bench. He needs functional pieces, not expensive gambles that tie the team's hands for six years.

That's the real tension here. Raddysh could absolutely be worth every dollar if the breakout is legitimate. But Boston has already felt the burn of a pricey contract that didn't deliver on its promise.

And the teams that will chase Raddysh this summer are not going to show up with lowball offers.