ARE BRUINS SET FOR ONE LAST KICK AT THE CUP?
A look at the team’s roster for opening night
Most Bruins fans — the rational ones, anyway — know their team’s current run of excellence is endangered.
Zdeno Chara is gone. Torey Krug was a luxury they could no longer afford. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci — the 1-2 punch at center for over a decade — are in their mid-30s. Tuukka Rask is 33 and, though they have some interesting prospects in the system, a clear succession plan has not fully revealed itself.
So, yes, barring a Phil Esposito-and-Carol Vadnais-for-Brad Park-and-Jean Ratelle trade to radically change the trajectory (those deals don’t happen and are increasingly rare), a rebuild, however modified, is on the horizon.
The legitimately debatable question is whether the 2021 Bruins represent an opportunity for one last push for a Stanley Cup for this slimmed-down core, or if that proverbial window is already shut tight.
With that in mind, let’s break down the roster that will do battle in this 56-game sprint of a season within a division that from top to bottom is quite formidable.
RIGHT WING
On paper at least, this longtime problem has been solved. When healthy, David Pastrnak is one of the premier scorers in the league. He’s expected back in early February and for the time being Studnicka will man Bergeron’s right side. It’s up to him if he can keep the job until Pastrnak is ready. Ondrej Kase is still a bit of an unknown in the sense that we don’t yet know if he can score 20 goals a year on a regular basis. He’s still looking for his first goal as a Bruin. But the former Duck, obtained at the trade deadline last season, has enough skill and puck-hunting ability to be a stabilizing presence for the heretofore unstable Krejci line. Craig Smith was the B’s big offseason acquisition and should add a level of meaningful, productive depth. He’s a proven 20goal scorer and plays with a two-way responsibility valued by this team. Chris Wagner will rack up hits and do his thing on the fourth line. A return to 2018-19 production levels (12 goals) would be helpful. RATING:
Very good.
CENTER
This remains a strength. At the top, the new captain Bergeron has shown few signs of slowing down despite being bothered for years by chronic groin problems. Krejci has proven the last couple of years that, given appropriate talent level on his wings, he is still a very good No. 2. Charlie Coyle, Sweeney’s best acquisition, is poised for more responsibility and could be a top-six centerman before his time is done in Boston. Sean Kuraly is more than capable of holding down the fourth-line pivot and can be used in a pinch on the wing and higher in the lineup. The B’s also possess good depth here with possible future top-six centerman Jack Studnicka and Par Lindholm, if he gets through waivers. RATING:
Excellent
LEFT WING
Here’s where things get a little sticky. Presuming Brad Marchand will return to his old self after hernia surgery, he’s one of the best left wings in the game. Jake DeBrusk has the capability to score at least 25 goals and, in a good year, could flirt with 40. Consistency is the question mark for the 24-year-old. His on-again, off-again marriage with Krejci could be helped by consistent counseling from Kase. We’ll see. Nick Ritchie, acquired from Anaheim just a few days after Kase, is still a big unknown, with an emphasis on big. With Chara gone, opponents will no doubt test this team more than they have in the past and part of Ritchie’s job description will be to answer that call. He can do that. But can he provide the requisite offensive production and handle duties in his own end well enough for a topnine forward? To be determined. Anders Bjork on the fourth is an interesting case. Thought to be a top-six talent when he left Notre Dame early, he suffered two season-ending shoulder injuries and then when healthy last year, the breakthrough never quite happened. Maybe he just is a fourthliner — every team needs them — or maybe he starts climbing the ladder like Marchand quickly did as a rookie. If either Bjork or Ritchie falter, Trent Frederic is in the wings. RATING: Good enough. We think.
RIGHT DEFENSE
Now is Charlie McAvoy’s time. By the minutes he received, he was already the team’s No. 1 defenseman. But by perception, he always played under the long shadow of Chara. Make no mistake, he benefited greatly from the relationship, but now there’s a sense that he can take a bigger piece of the ownership of this team. He’s got more offense to give, too. Brandon
Carlo, despite some hiccups in the bubble, is as steady as they come. His performance in the Cup run, his first opportunity in the playoffs, was a revelation. There’s no reason he can’t return to that level. Kevan Miller could not only be the feelgood story of the NHL after a four-surgery odyssey, but his experience and physicality is just what this young D corps needs. He’ll be pushed every step of the way by Connor Clifton, who could be in a lot of teams’ nightly six-pack. RATING:
Very Good.
GOALTENDING
Rask and Jaroslav Halak captured the Jennings Trophy last season for the fewest goals allowed. With the inexperience directly in front of them, it will be a challenge to repeat. Many thought Rask had played his last game as a Bruin when he left the bubble. Some thought he should have. Details of a family emergency would later come to light, but Rask’s teammates, coaches and management very publicly had his back from the start. As payback, he should be motivated to bring a high battle-level every night, because it may be required. Halak struggled with the increased workload in the bubble, but he should remain one of the best 1Bs in the league. RATING:
Top-notch tandem.
LEFT DEFENSE
OK, there’s no way around it. There’s a bit of a yikes factor here. Out the door went leadership, size, physicality and offensive explosiveness in Chara and Krug. Jeremy Lauzon will get the first crack at replacing Chara, though the former captain is as unique and irreplaceable a player as you’ll find. Thrust into action on the off-side last year, Lauzon played very well until struggling in the bubble. A move to his natural side should help, though he struggled a bit in camp. Matt Grzelcyk will be assuming Krug’s role, moving up a notch to pair with Carlo and play on the first power-play unit. He’s looked good in camp. Jakub Zboril will get the first look on a third pair with Miller. The 2015 first-rounder has looked decent in camp, but if he falters, veteran John Moore is there. Coach Bruce Cassidy has also toyed with playing Clifton on the left side.
RATING: Buckle up.