Bruins ink top center Elias Lindholm, D-man Nikita Zadorov - ESPN

Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov are once again teammates as the pair each signed a long-term contract with the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins announced Monday that they signed Lindholm and Zadorov, but did not provide contract details. Lindholm has a seven-year deal worth $7.75 million annually while Zadorov has a six-year deal worth $5 million annually, according to reports.

This will be the third time in the past year that Lindholm and Zadorov have played for the same team. They started last season with the Calgary Flames before being reunited in separate trades that saw them join the Vancouver Canucks.

Now it appears they could be with the Bruins for years to come.

Signing Lindholm allowed Boston to address its need for another top-six center. The dual retirements of former captain Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci left the Bruins entering 2023-24 without a proven top-six center.

That led to the emergence of Charlie Coyle, who scored a career-high 25 goals and 60 points in 82 games. It also saw the Bruins rely on all four of their centers to help fill the collective void left by Bergeron and Krejci.

But getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers led to questions about how the Bruins could strengthen their roster.

Enter Lindholm.

A Selke Trophy runner-up in 2022, Lindholm gives the Bruins a two-way center who can be trusted at either end. His offensive production, however, came into question in 2023-24, when he had 15 goals and 44 points after coming off consecutive seasons of more than 60 points.

Lindholm used the playoffs to answer some of those concerns by scoring five goals and a career-high 10 points in 13 games, helping the Canucks come within a