Kevin Shattenkirk expects to affix a contender within the Bruins — with or with out Patrice Bergeron

Bruins

“Guys must step up and play larger roles and take over and if push involves shove.”

Kevin Shattenkirk wanted a change of surroundings.

It’s a sentiment not normally shared by a professional athlete who spent the final three years in Orange County, California.

A mixed 71-114-35 document for the Anaheim Geese over that stretch seemingly dimmed no matter pleasure the SoCal sunshine provided.  

After hoisting the Stanley Cup within the Edmonton bubble with the Lightning in 2020, the 34-year-old Shattenkirk was seeking to land with one other contending staff.

He believes he’s discovered pretty much as good a spot as any with the Bruins.

“The chance and the match was what actually appealed to me,” Shattenkirk mentioned through Zoom on Wednesday. “Getting again to a staff that’s a Stanley Cup contender was thrilling. I’ve form of misplaced that over the past three years being in additional of a rebuilding state of affairs.”

Shattenkirk, who inked a one-year, $1.05 million contract with Boston on Saturday, is a confirmed commodity.

He might not be a top-four stalwart able to anchoring an influence play, however the former Boston College product will add veteran mettle and puck-moving capabilities to the appropriate aspect of the Bruins’ protection. 

What isn’t established, nonetheless, is Boston’s sustained standing as a premier Cup contender in 2023-24. 

Regardless of rewriting the document books by way of regular-season wins (65) and factors (135) final season, an anticipated cap crunch has sapped Boston of a few of its power.

Don Sweeney and the Bruins wanted to dump Taylor Corridor’s contract final month with a purpose to acquire some much-needed fiscal flexibility. Even then, Boston was unable to retain lineup stalwarts corresponding to Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Connor Clifton, Tomas Nosek and Garnet Hathaway in free company.

Nevertheless it’s the unsure futures of each Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci that really name Boston’s label as a Cup contender into query.

If each star facilities choose to hold up their skates, Boston’s depth down the center stands to be decimated. 

Having witnessed each Bergeron and Krejci’s playmaking prowess and two-way acumen firsthand as an opponent, Shattenkirk is aware of full nicely that the 2023-24 Bruins are higher geared up for a brand new marketing campaign if each facilities are anchoring the staff’s top-six unit.

However even when one (or each) franchise cornerstones now not don black-and-gold sweaters this fall, Shattenkirk believes Boston’s remaining star expertise and structured system will have the ability to hold Boston afloat in a aggressive Jap Convention. 

“I don’t suppose it affected [me] a lot,” Shattenkirk mentioned of Bergeron and Krejci’s unsure standing. “I do know what these two imply to this staff and people are massive holes to fill. You additionally have a look at the staff that they’ve put collectively over the previous few years and a few of the guys that they’ve added and I believe they’re totally able to shouldering that weight.

“Now, Patrice is clearly a cornerstone of this staff and David as nicely. At each level in a staff’s development, guys must step up and play larger roles and take over and if push involves shove, and that’s the place we find yourself, then it’s going to be on the shoulders of a few of the different gamers on the staff to take over that function.” 

At this stage of his profession, Shattenkirk expects to function extra of a third-pairing common in Boston’s lineup who can transfer up the depth chart when the damage bug inevitably stings. 

He’ll seemingly slot into Clifton’s former spot on the appropriate aspect of Boston’s protection, representing near a $2.2 million cap saving when weighed in opposition to Clifton’s new take care of the Sabres.

Shattenkirk has few qualms with accepting fewer minutes on a D corps nonetheless anchored by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. 

“Between Hampus and Charlie, that’s two Norris-caliber defensemen there and so they’re nonetheless rising into their expectations as gamers and I believe having the ability to be a sounding board for them … is one thing we mentioned and one thing that it’s form of anticipated of me,” Shattenkirk mentioned of his function.

In contrast to the porous performances in web over in Anaheim, the anticipated return of Linus Ullmark and present RFA Jeremy Swayman will hold Boston in lots of tight contests.

Boston’s offense will dip no matter Bergeron and Krejci’s choice. However the Bruins’ baseline manufacturing will nonetheless be buoyed by impression wingers like David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Jake DeBrusk. 

The 2023-24 Bruins would possibly take a big step again from final yr’s record-setting run. However what stays — as at present constituted — nonetheless stands as a aggressive group,  in Shattenkirk’s eyes.

“As a participant, you wish to play for a staff, play for a corporation that has custom, that has passionate followers. You are feeling that each time you come into the Backyard as an opponent,” Shattenkirk mentioned. “And I believe that, for me, is what I thrive off of, and one thing I actually sit up for is seeing a packed constructing each evening and followers which are gonna put on every little thing on their sleeves and drive you to be your finest self on the ice.”