The first shoe to drop in the Bruins’ offseason was a big one – if not an unexpected one.

To clear up cap space, the B’s traded Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blakchawks on Monday. The B’s also included the rights to Nick Foligno, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

The move sends Hall and his $6 million cap hit for the next two seasons to the Hawks, who may still be in rebuilding mode but Hall could get the chance to ride shotgun with the player many believe will be the next great player in Connor Bedard, who is expected to be taken by Chicago with the first overall pick in Wednesday’s draft.

In return, the B’s get two young defensmen, 22-year-old Alec Regula, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound third round draft pick in 2018, and 24-year-old Ian Mitchell, a second round pick in 2017, a 5-foot-11, 173-pound blueliner who played for coach Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver.

Both are right shot defensemen, which could signal there could be a D-man from the Bruins roster going out the door, though both Mitchell and Regula are RFAs who would need to be signed.

At the moment, the Hall move now gives the B’s $10.9 million in cap space and a chance to make a run at re-signing UFA-to-be Tyler Bertuzzi.

Developing…