Bruins
The Bruins will want a number of inner candidates to step up following each Bergeron and Krejci’s retirement.
A painful low season was at all times going to be on the horizon for the Bruins.
Be it a looming cap crunch, a barren cabinet of prospects following a sequence of win-now strikes, or each Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s unsustainable defiance of Father Time, the invoice was going to come back due for Boston this summer time.
Ideally, these issues had been going to be assuaged by the sight of Bergeron hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.
As an alternative, Boston’s stunning first-round exit towards Florida accelerated the timeline of Boston’s large exodus of expertise.
And whereas the departures of key cogs like Taylor Corridor and Tyler Bertuzzi will sap away a few of Boston’s scoring depth, the retirement of each Bergeron and Krejci will usher in a sea change not felt throughout the Unique Six franchise in over 20 years.
For Don Sweeney and the Bruins, any hope of rivalry will possible must fall on the shoulders of a stingy protection, poised goaltending tandem and a necessity of a number of inner candidates to step up on the ahead place.
So with each Bergeron and Krejci now out of the equation, what might the 2023-24 Bruins appear to be in early October?
Let’s take a way-too-early have a look at Boston’s projected lineup:
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand — Charlie Coyle — Trent Frederic
We’re going for a barely unconventional grouping right here for Boston’s “high” line.
There’s no method for the Bruins to duplicate Bergeron’s two-way mastery and top-line manufacturing.
But when Boston is trying to carve out a brand new top-six unit able to negating high opponents and doing harm by the use of a relentless puck-possession recreation, handing the keys to Charlie Coyle makes loads of sense.
Though the 31-year-old heart is finest suited in his common position as Boston’s 3C, he held his personal when slotted subsequent to Marchand for an prolonged stretch of Boston’s first-round sequence towards Florida.
When he’s on his recreation, Coyle is a bodily pressure who can exhaust opposing skaters by enjoying keep-away from the puck. His biggest strides final season got here on the defensive facet of the puck, with Coyle incomes a heavy share of D-zone begins so as to lighten each Bergeron and Krejci’s workload.
The offensive ceiling of this unit will probably be lessened with Coyle (one 50-point season on his resume) driving play down the center. However a full season subsequent to an offensive conduit in Marchand ought to solely assist Coyle unlock extra scoring contact.
The addition of Frederic would possibly confuse some, contemplating that Jake DeBrusk shaped an efficient partnership with Marchand over the past two seasons.
But when Frederic performs to his strengths, the 25-year-old ahead needs to be stapled to Coyle’s hip in all 5v5 conditions transferring ahead.
He is perhaps a pure heart (a 43.9% profession exhibiting on the dot raises some issues), however Frederic did loads of soiled work at RW for Coyle and Corridor on the third line final season.
In the course of the 649:43 of 5v5 ice time the place Coyle and Frederic skated collectively, the Bruins outscored groups, 35-18, and held a 154-116 edge in high-danger scoring possibilities.
As for the 420:24 of 5v5 reps when Coyle skated with out Frederic?
Boston solely outscored opponents, 16-14, and noticed opponents maintain a 94-75 benefit in high-danger scoring possibilities.
Regardless of the case could also be, Coyle was at his finest when he had Frederic on his proper.
And even when Frederic could not have the ceiling of a DeBrusk, he could possibly be a helpful asset if Jim Montgomery opts to show this high line right into a biking, puck-possession group that may eat up minutes and preserve opposing stars at bay.
Jake DeBrusk — Pavel Zacha — David Pastrnak
One other optimistic domino impact of a Frederic promotion subsequent to Coyle includes pushing Jake DeBrusk again to his pure place at left wing — and slotting him onto Boston’s high scoring line subsequent to Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak.
If Marchand-Coyle-Frederic are slated to function Boston’s 200-foot line, DeBrusk-Zacha-Pastrnak could possibly be the Bruins’ offensive conduit — incomes a lion’s share of the O-zone begins now up for grabs with Krejci and Bergeron out of the image.
Zacha, 26, has been considered as a pure successor for a top-six position even earlier than each Bergeron and Krejci opted to hold up their skates. The 6-foot-4 ahead had a breakout yr in his first season with Boston, posting 57 factors (21 objectives, 36 assists) in 82 video games whereas often slotting in for Krejci because the Bruins’ 2C.
Very similar to Coyle taking up for Bergeron, Zacha doesn’t have the identical poise and passing capabilities as Krejci. However final season confirmed that he’s removed from only a passenger in a featured position. And a full season spent subsequent to a 60-goal scorer in Pastrnak ought to solely additional elevate Zacha’s play.
With Krejci — not essentially essentially the most fleet-footed skater — not driving play within the center, don’t be shocked if Montgomery and Boston’s teaching employees pushes this line to play with loads of tempo subsequent season.
Such a change in technique would profit one other speedster in DeBrusk, who was on tempo for his first 30-goal season in 2022-23 earlier than lacking six weeks resulting from a damaged leg.
James van Riemsdyk – Morgan Geekie – Jakub Lauko
Morgan Geekie is perhaps essentially the most intriguing addition that Don Sweeney made throughout his bargain-bin buying spree this summer time.
A giant-bodied heart (6-foot-3, 200 kilos) with robust returns on the faceoff dot (51.1 profession FO%), Geekie posted 28 factors in 69 video games with the Seattle Kraken final season — averaging simply 10:27 of ice time per contest.
In complete, there have been 593 NHL skaters who logged a minimum of 500 minutes of 5v5 ice time final season. In accordance with Pure Stat Trick, Geekie’s 2.47 5v5 factors per 60 minutes of play ranked thirty first within the league — forward of names like Clayton Keller (2.46), Jack Eichel (2.45), Leon Draisaitl (2.41), Alex Ovechkin (2.31), and Matty Beniers (2.21).
That’s to not say that Geekie is poised for a 65-point season if his reps bump as much as 15:00 minutes per recreation, however there’s room to develop right here.
James van Riemsdyk (15.41 particular person anticipated objectives in 2022-23) will look to get some extra puck luck in Boston, though the 34-year-old winger is perhaps higher suited in a bottom-six position, somewhat than on a speedy line anchored by Zacha and Pastrnak.
The 3RW emptiness could possibly be a touchdown spot for any youthful participant within the Bruins group who pops throughout camp, particularly one with the next offensive upside like Fabian Lysell or Georgii Merkulov.
However for now, we’ll go along with Jakub Lauko, who warrants a promotion after posting seven factors and drawing 11 penalties in simply 23 video games (8:52 ATOI) final season. As long as his motor retains going, Lauko ought to routinely make influence performs subsequent season.
Milan Lucic – Patrick Brown – A.J. Greer
Past Lucic — who needs to be penciled in at 4LW all through this upcoming season — there needs to be loads of fluidity in terms of Boston’s checking unit in 2023-24.
Windfall regulars like Johnny Beecher, Marc McLaughlin and Oskar Steen will attempt to land beginning spots out of camp, and can possible be given loads of run throughout preseason motion. Free-agent pickup Jesper Boqvist will even be within the combine as nicely.
But when Boston is trying so as to add some thump to their fourth line, we’ll go for this trio.
Brown, a 31-year-old veteran and former captain at Boston School, is a probable substitute for Tomas Nosek given his robust faceoff numbers (56.1 profession FO%). He additionally averaged 14.4 hits per 60 minutes of play final season — rating twenty eighth out of the 717 NHLers with a minimum of 200 minutes of ice time final season.
Greer could possibly be challenged at 4RW by youthful gamers with extra offensive upside, however the BU product often added vitality and a few chunk into the lineup at any time when he was referred to as upon final season.
DEFENSE
Matt Grzelcyk — Charlie McAvoy
As polarizing as a participant like Grzelcyk is perhaps, protecting these former Terriers collectively provides the best upside for Boston over the span of an 82-game common season.
Logging heavy minutes subsequent to a do-it-all pressure like McAvoy will support Grzelcyk.
However McAvoy was additionally at his finest when he had a transition ace like Grzelcyk as an everyday accomplice. Within the 604:05 of 5v5 ice time that McAvoy and Grzelcyk logged collectively in 2022-23, Boston outscored groups, 36-15, and held a 327-270 edge in pictures on purpose.
Hampus Lindholm — Brandon Carlo
Retaining Grzelcyk with McAvoy additionally permits Montgomery to anchor two totally different D pairs with franchise blueliners in McAvoy and Lindholm — guaranteeing that Boston has a top-flight presence on the ice for almost all of a 60-minute contest.
Regardless of struggling a steep drop in play within the postseason resulting from a damaged foot, Lindholm performed like a high Norris contender in 2022-23, and in addition meshed nicely subsequent to the regular, stay-at-home Carlo.
Anticipate this duo to maintain incomes daunting matchups in 2023-24 and past.
Derek Forbort — Kevin Shattenkirk
Forbort is perhaps a divisive participant resulting from his outcomes at 5v5 play, however he’s nonetheless a helpful asset on the penalty kill and a magnet for blocked pictures. Mason Lohrei will possible catch the attention of many Bruins followers throughout camp, however Boston’s blue-chip prospect possible wants extra seasoning down within the AHL ranks first.
Boston will miss Connor Clifton’s physicality, however the veteran Shattenkirk ought to carry out nicely in a lesser position than the top-four assignments he was often assigned on a dreadful Geese group.
GOALTENDING
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
If it ain’t broke …
It stays to be seen how precisely the reps will probably be allotted over the span of an 82-game season.
However with Boston’s strengths rooted in its defensive fortitude, count on each Ullmark and Swayman to proceed their efficient rotation between the pipes.
The following step, in fact, is protecting that rotation intact if Boston punches its ticket to the postseason as soon as once more.
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