We weren’t giving much of their skin in October 2020 with the loss of two of their first four defenders, captain Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug. The Bruins, however, suffered only 16 losses in 56 games and reached the second round of the playoffs.
The following year, doubts arose again. Their number one keeper Tuukka Rask was likely to miss the entire season and they would have to rely on two untested goalkeepers: Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Not to mention the departure of second center David Krejci. Still, Boston amassed 107 points.
If they had done well between 2020 and 2022, the fall was going to be brutal last winter. Patrice Bergeron had been dragging his ears all summer to return to the game. In what state of mind would he return at 37? Number one defender Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand would also miss the start of the season. They didn’t stumble, quite the opposite with the best season in NHL history: 65 wins, 12 losses, 5 overtime losses…
Here we are at the dawn of 2023-2024. The venerable Patrice Bergeron finally bowed out after 19 seasons during which he amassed 1,040 points in 1,294 games and won six Selke Trophies awarded to the defensive forward par excellence. David Krejci, 37, followed suit.
Two acquisitions at the trade deadline, winger Tyler Bertuzzi, 16 points in 21 games, and defenseman Dmitri Orlov, 17 points in 23 games, 22:13 OT, are not back. Taylor Hall, less productive than in his heyday with 16 goals and 36 points in 61 games but still an offensive threat on a second or third line at almost 16 minutes of use per game, was traded to free up some mass salary.
It would be logical to predict a difficult season for a formation victim of such losses. But because it’s the Bruins, almost no one in his analyzes dares to dismiss them from the playoffs.
Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle will have the mandate to replace Bergeron and Krejci. Zacha, 26, is coming off a career-best offensive season with 57 points. The sixth overall pick in 2015 had never scored more than 36 points in his first six seasons at New Jersey.
Zacha played mostly on the wing last winter, in a complementary role. How will he respond in the middle, in a prominent attacking role?
Coyle, 31, is a solid leader for the Bruins. But he has mostly played at the center of the third line in recent seasons. He’s never had more than 45 points a year in Boston.
To fill the third center position vacated by Coyle’s promotion, 25-year-old Morgan Geekie was hired for $2 million per season for two years. Geekie played two full career seasons in Seattle and had 22 and 28 points.
To fill the gaps on the wings, we hired James Van Riemsdyk, 34, who had just 29 points, including 12 goals, in 61 games last year in Philadelphia. Youngsters Trent Frederic and Jakub Lauko are likely to play a bigger role.
As Boston has performed well in the past decade, the organization has often drafted late or given up draft picks to improve in the short term. There is therefore very little succession.
The Bruins have drafted only twice in the first round in six drafts since 2018, including once at No. 30. One of those picks, Fabian Lysell, 21st overall pick in 2021, had a tough second half of the American League last year, an awful World Junior Championship with Sweden and he spent part of the season. been recovering from a concussion.
Defense remains one of the Bruins’ strengths with a top four consisting of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. Derek Forbort and Kevin Shattenkirk are a third luxury pair. Boston also has one of the best guarding duos in the League in Ullmark and Swayman.
How badly will the Bruins suffer from the departure of the soul of the team, Patrice Bergeron? Are we asking too much of Zacha and Coyle? In Van Riemsdyk?
Do you dare to kick the Bruins out of the playoffs anyway? Not here…
Patrick Kane chose at the end of the last season to undergo surgery to repair his damaged hips. He was planning a six-month rehabilitation period, but he seems ahead of schedule and hopes to get the go-ahead from doctors soon.
This 34-year-old striker, less transcendent than expected in New York precisely because of this hip problem, does not want to rush anything. “I’d rather feel like 105-110 percent, not 90-95 percent,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday. If a team wants to submit an offer to me that excites me, I will still listen even if I am not quite ready to come back. »
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