Bruins
“I used to be a bit nervous to play on a line and apply with a participant of that caliber.”
The Bruins opened their 2023 coaching camp on Wednesday morning, however their first official on-ice session got here a day later — with two full-squad skates held at Warrior Ice Enviornment.
Listed below are a number of takeaways from the beginning of Boston’s coaching camp:
Blue-chip prospects get an early begin with high expertise
Boston’s subsequent wave of high expertise have a steep uphill climb on the subject of leapfrogging each veteran free brokers and established incumbents up within the NHL lineup.
However a lot as he did in the beginning of camp final 12 months, Jim Montgomery opted to ease a few of Boston’s most promising prospects into the brand new season by slotting them into featured roles with top-end expertise.
Throughout Boston’s Group A session, 2021 first-round decide Fabian Lysell skated alongside Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand in what stands to be at the least two-thirds of Boston’s high line this winter.
Within the Group B skate, 19-year-old middle Matthew Poitras logged most of his reps alongside Boston’s high offensive conduit in David Pastrnak.
“He’s the perfect participant on the planet,” Poitras stated of skating with Pastrnak. “So any time you may skate with a man like that, you bought to try to elevate your degree of compete and play. It was actually cool. I used to be a bit nervous to play on a line and apply with a participant of that caliber.”
Given the upper offensive upside that each Lysell and Poitras boast, Montgomery is seeking to domesticate some early confidence with among the youthful skaters on the camp roster, particularly if they’ll showcase their high-end expertise alongside a gifted playmaker like Marchand and an elite scorer in Pastrnak.
Final September, Lysell opened camp with a number of shifts alongside Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
With Poitras unable to report back to Windfall (AHL) this season because of the NHL-CHL switch settlement, the promising pivot will both begin the 12 months in Boston — or report again to the OHL’s Guelph Storm for one more 12 months in juniors.
Establishing one-time blasts for Pastrnak could possibly be a stable method for Poitras to construct some early momentum this fall.
He’s a high-end thinker, he’s proven the flexibility to make numerous performs,” Montgomery stated of Poitras. “He had 80 assists, virtually, final 12 months within the OHL — virtually one and a half a sport, proper? So, a playmaking middle and see what he can do with a confirmed goal-scorer. That’s the pondering is you wish to see if there’s chemistry.”
Right here’s a take a look at Boston’s traces on Thursday afternoon:
GROUP A
Marchand-Coyle-Lysell
Heinen-Merkulov-DeBrusk
Richard-Geekie-Frederic
Harrison-Megna-Steen
Wotherspoon-McAvoy
Lindholm-Walsh
Zboril-Shattenkirk
Callahan-Mast
Edward
Ullmark
DiPietro
Starrett
GROUP B
Boqvist-Poitras-Pastrnak
Van Riemsdyk-Zacha-McLaughlin
Lucic-Beecher-Lauko
Greer-Brown-Chiasson
Lohrei-Carlo
Grzelcyk-Regula
Forbort-Mitchell
Brunet-Renouf
Ritchie
Swayman
Bussi
Keyser
An early glimpse of a bruising fourth line
You’re typically enjoying with hearth on the subject of placing a lot inventory in any of the traces that coaches roll out within the first day or two of camp.
However one trio that caught my eye on Thursday was a possible checking-line grouping of Milan Lucic, Johnny Beecher, and Jakub Lauko.
Lucic positive appears like a lock for a fourth-line spot at left wing, the place the veteran ahead can be anticipated to convey loads of heft and dole out numerous punishment.
But when Montgomery needs to reinforce that fourth line from a D-zone heavy, shutdown grouping into an energy-sparking, smash-mouth squad, there’s quite a bit to love about what each Lauko and Beecher may convey.
“We’re simply seeking to see if there’s chemistry, proper?” Montgomery stated. “Like [seeing] how is Beecher going to have the ability to play with guys we anticipate to be on our workforce this 12 months.”
After exceeding expectations final season in his first stint within the NHL, Lauko could possibly be due for a breakout season as a fleet-footed winger who makes issues occur every time he hops over the boards.
In 23 video games with the Bruins, Lauko posted seven factors whereas utilizing his pace and agitating fashion of play to create chaos on the forecheck and pester opponents after the whistle. He additionally drew 11 penalties in his 23 video games, together with his 3.24 penalties drawn per 60 minutes rating second within the NHL among the many 792 skaters with at the least 100 minutes of ice time this previous season.
“My strategy is identical as final 12 months,” Lauko stated of his mindset coming into camp. “There’s no ensures on this league. Now I’m ready that, in contrast with final 12 months, there was zero expectation final 12 months. … I simply wish to take it the identical as final 12 months. Simply are available in right here, play the toughest I can and simply do the appropriate issues.”
Beecher stands because the wild card, because the 22-year-old ahead has but to make a sustained push for NHL reps thus far in his profession. Beecher’s offensive capabilities (28 factors in 70 AHL video games) might not stand out.
However the 6-foot-3, 209-pound ahead is an elite skater who can create havoc on the forecheck because of his pro-ready body. His capacity to win faceoffs and contribute on the penalty kill may additionally assist him earn his hold with Boston this fall.
“I believe if I’m to contribute to the workforce this 12 months and be capable to assist them, that’s most likely the place I’m gonna do the perfect,” Beecher stated of Boston’s emptiness at 4C. “It’s not a task that I’ve any drawback enjoying.
” I’ve performed on so many high-powered offenses, you look again at my time at USA [National Team Development Program], after which over at Michigan, at all times sort of enjoying that power-forward position, being heavy, being exhausting to play in opposition to within the D-zone. So it’s positively one thing I take numerous delight in.”
The Bruins may be centered on setting the groundwork for the 2023-24 season, however Don Sweeney isn’t afforded the luxurious of remaining entrenched within the current.
Boston might not have a bevy of pending free brokers to account for subsequent summer season, however one of many few dominos that should fall is deciding on what to do with top-six ahead Jake DeBrusk.
DeBrusk, who was on tempo for 35 targets final season earlier than lacking six weeks of motion as a consequence of damage, is setting himself for a stable pay bump together with his subsequent contract.
The 26-year-old ahead can be a key cog for a Bruins workforce that may want its wingers to drive play in a reworked top-six unit this season. However DeBrusk can be waiting for the long run, noting in an interview with NHL.com final month that he hopes to stay in Boston long-term.
Based mostly on Sweeney’s feedback on Wednesday, it looks as if the Bruins are getting the ball rolling on contract talks now that camp is underway.
“We’re going to have communication with Jake and his illustration [and] we’d prefer to know if Jake certainly does wish to be right here,” Sweeney stated. “And hopefully, we are able to discover widespread floor. Moreover that, you guys know sufficient that I’m not going to touch upon something publicly. However we’d prefer to see Jake stay with the Boston Bruins.”
Sweeney and Boston’s front-office personnel normally attempt to begin bridging the hole on contract talks with gamers a 12 months earlier than hitting free company, with coaching camp an opportune time to seek out widespread floor earlier than an 82-game gauntlet begins.
Brandon Hagel’s eight-year contract extension with the Lightning ($6.5 million AAV) could possibly be a comparable deal for DeBrusk transferring ahead.
“Jake deserves numerous credit score,” Sweeney stated of DeBrusk and placing a commerce request within the rearview mirror. “He put all these issues apart and simply went out and carried out and was on tempo for a very and had a very good 12 months.
“However much more so, battled via a few completely different accidents and got here again and performed effectively once more. So, I believe that’s Jake’s maturity each as a participant and as an individual and he’s an essential a part of our membership. We hope him to have the season we anticipate him to do. He’s going to be an enormous a part of that.”
Odds and ends
There was loads of snarl doled out within the first official skate of coaching camp, particularly in Boston’s Group A session.
Throughout a chippy drill, new Bruins captain Brad Marchand battled with blueliners Charlie McAvoy and Jackson Edward, finally planting McAvoy on the ice whereas preventing for the puck alongside the boards. Fellow ahead and PTO (skilled tryout) candidate Alex Chiasson additionally delivered a number of heavy hits, together with one in opposition to Marc McLaughlin in a basic BU vs. BC alternate.
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The Bruins will don new sweaters for his or her centennial season in 2023-24, however Jeremy Swayman additionally has a model new goalie masks to mark the event.
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As for Montgomery’s early impression of Marchand’s first apply as Bruins captain? “I noticed him try to take out Joe Sacco,” Montgomery stated. “I don’t know if he’s going proper from captain to teach.”
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