Bruins’ Jakub Lauko to become free agent after not receiving qualifying offer

Boston Bruins center Jakub Lauko will not receive a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, reports Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

Added from the Minnesota Wild ahead of the March trade deadline, Lauko closed out the season seeing 18 contests with the Bruins in which he collected two goals and three assists for five points coupled with 20 penalty minutes and a minus-eight rating while averaging more than 12 minutes of time on ice per game. Combined with his time with the Wild earlier in 2024-25, Lauko totaled 11 points counting five goals and six assists coming in 56 games this season.

Originally chosen by Boston in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Lauko was then dealt to the Wild last June alongside a 2024 fourth-round selection in exchange for fellow forward Vinni Lettieri and a fourth rounder. The Bruins then re-acquired Lauko, plus center Marat Khusnutdinov, and a 2026 sixth-round selection in exchange for right winger Justin Brazeau.

In all, through 139 career contests between the Wild and Bruins, Lauko has totaled 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points. The 25-year-old Czech-born forward has also added 23 goals and 38 assists for 51 points over four seasons and 134 career contests in the AHL.

A graduate of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Lauko’s single season in the Canadian junior circuit saw him post 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points through 43 regular-season appearances. Lauko then added 13 points in 19 playoff outings and later headlined the year-end Memorial Cup tournament with eight points in five games.

Beyond Lauko, the Bruins have three other unrestricted free agents counting forward Cole Koepke as well as defensemen Henri Jokiharju and Parker Wotherspoon. Forwards John Beecher and Morgan Geekie are pending restricted free agents, per PuckPedia.