Boston Bruins
The Bruins nonetheless have a number of query marks relating to their ahead corps.
Hockey is lastly again in Boston.
As first-year head coach Marco Sturm takes the reins of the Bruins, a retooling Boston roster nonetheless has loads of query marks in place.
Listed here are eight questions that can decide whether or not or not an intriguing — albeit flawed — Bruins roster can exceed expectations this winter.
Can Jeremy Swayman bounce again?
Nothing will maintain as a lot weight over the Bruins and their fortunes this season than whether or not or not Jeremy Swayman can regain his kind as one of many high younger goalies within the league.
If the Bruins are going to be a aggressive squad below Sturm, they’re going to should be a gritty, grind-it-out membership that pummels opponents on the forecheck, capitalizes on particular groups — and depends on their goaltending to maintain them afloat in what needs to be loads of one-goal video games.
It’s a transparent template, however one which solely turns into possible for the Bruins if Swayman bounces again between the pipes.
A tumultuous coaching camp (or lack thereof) for Swayman loomed large over a lost season for the 26-year-old, who went from a .933 goalie within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs to a career-worst .892 save share in 2024-25.
There’s nonetheless loads of strain on Swayman’s shoulders as Boston’s No. 1 netminder.
However, Swayman appears to be in a greater place with a clear slate introduced by this season — as evidenced by his sturdy exhibiting throughout World Championships (7-0, .921 save share) and a .942 save percentage across two preseason games.
If Swayman can proper the ship, the Bruins could possibly be a tough out, even with their evident weaknesses up entrance.
Can Marco Sturm go away his stamp on this workforce?
Sturm hasn’t modified his messaging because the begin of the summer time with regards to deficiencies on this workforce.
Past David Pastrnak’s offensive wizardry, constant 5-on-5 scoring will seemingly be laborious to return by this winter.
As such, the Bruins must increase their method on the ice, putting a premium on a punishing forecheck and a suffocating defensive structure in order to steadily accrue points.
It might not be probably the most riveting product at instances. However, it’s the correct system to maximise the potential of a retooling roster that’s removed from a completed product.
It may be perilous to make any sweep conclusions from preseason motion, however each of Boston’s “costume rehearsal” video games on Sept. 29 and Oct. 4 featured the Bruins adhering to a structured defensive system, with huge our bodies like Tanner Jeannot pinning puck carries, Boston’s skaters trapping gamers within the impartial zone, and D-men like Hampus Lindholm ferrying pucks out of hazard.
Sturm’s imaginative and prescient will seemingly be a piece in progress, particularly on the offensive facet with regards to spurring an efficient energy play and discovering one other avenues of offensive manufacturing.
However, a few of the non-negotiables that Sturm has preached — effort, physicality, and a bruising forechecking method — can conceivably preserve Boston aggressive on most nights.
“I need to see progress, proper? I need to see us come collectively,” Sturm stated Tuesday of his expectations for this season. “I’m not going to say we’ve obtained to make the playoffs, or we obtained to be in a playoff spot in November with this and that.
“No. I need to see us develop. I would like my gamers to play the best way all of us need them to play and get that identification again, not simply in the future, not only one interval. Very, very constant.”
Can Boston’s high line proceed to thrive?
There shouldn’t be any considerations about Pastrnak, who scored 43 objectives and 106 factors on a cellar-dwelling workforce final season.
However, given all the uncertainty additional down the depth chart, the Bruins are going to want to rely closely on the remainder of Boston’s high line to tug on the rope this season.
There was loads to love about how a high ahead trio of Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm ended the yr, considering they outscored opponents, 16-2, at 5-on-5 play after Boston’s trade-deadline teardown.
Boston will want a few of that manufacturing to hold over into subsequent season.
Geekie could possibly be due for some regression after scoring 33 objectives final season, however an uptick in power-play manufacturing may assist him after producing most of his offense at 5-on-5 play (26 objectives, tied for second in NHL) final yr.
Lindholm can be a participant who appeared way more snug down the stretch, posting 15 factors over his ultimate 17 video games.
Can McAvoy, Lindholm elevate a porous protection?
The lack of Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy for a majority of final yr stood as the ultimate nail within the coffin amid a rudderless season. With out their two most impactful, minutes-munching blue-liners, Boston’s often inflexible D-zone construction wilted. The workforce ranked twenty sixth within the NHL in objectives allowed per sport (3.30).
The absence of Lindholm and McAvoy created a devastating domino impact for the Bruins, placing youthful skaters like Mason Lohrei into elevated roles and making life tougher on an already laboring Swayman.
Past banking on a bounce-back in web from their high goalie, the Bruins are feeling assured that the membership will regain its hallmark defensive fortitude as long as McAvoy and Lindholm are wholesome and hoping over the boards, evening in and evening out.
Coming off of a fractured kneecap that price him 65 video games final yr, Lindholm appeared no worse for put on throughout preseason play — carrying pucks by means of the impartial zone, logging taxing D-zone shifts, and activating off the blue line within the offensive zone.
Can the Bruins reignite their energy play?
A well-recognized speaking level for Sturm and the Bruins to date this preseason has been the emphasis on elevating a Bruins energy play that wielded the firepower of a spud-gun for many of 2024-25.
Given all the uncertainty relating to Boston’s middle-six grouping, loads goes to be requested of Boston’s high line and power-play personnel to maintain the membership’s offensive manufacturing afloat — particularly within the early going.
Boston’s man benefit was downright dysfunctional at instances final yr, with far too many stretches of play marred by disjointed zone entries, one-and-done makes an attempt, and an unpredictable script that usually ended with PKers bottling up Pastrnak’s one-timer.
After rating twenty ninth within the NHL in power-play success price (15.2 p.c) final yr, the Bruins are making a concerted effort to proper the ship on particular groups. The group introduced in assistant coach Steve Spott to overtake that power-play unit.
Be it shifting Pastrnak into extra of a “rover” position on the ability play, augmenting their personnel, or shifting their method by means of the impartial zone, the Bruins want to seek out methods to generate an uptick in manufacturing in that space of the sport.
The place will the secondary scoring come from?
The Bruins be ok with their personnel each on the primary line and high power-play unit.
The identical can’t be stated for Boston’s middle-six grouping, which options a number of gamers who’re both coming off of underwhelming offensive seasons or are unproven within the NHL ranks.
Getting into Wednesday’s season opener, the Bruins will roll out a second line of Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Viktor Arvidsson. Zacha — who has averaged 54.3 factors per season over his three years in Boston — needs to be a gradual, two-way presence on that line.
However, the Bruins are putting numerous belief in Mittelstadt realizing his potential as a real top-six playmaker, whereas a former 30-goal-scorer in Arvidsson had a season to neglect (15 objectives, 27 factors) on an Oilers squad the place merely skating within the presence of Connor McDavid often units your scoring flooring at 50 factors.
Boston’s third line of Fraser Minten, Tanner Jeannot, and Mikey Eyssimont needs to be a straight-line, bruising group out on the ice this season. However they’re not precisely an offensive juggernaut, with that trio scoring simply 19 mixed objectives final season.
Anticipate loads of rising pains this season because the Bruins attempt to discover confirmed conduits of offense exterior of their huge weapons atop the depth chart.
Can youthful gamers develop?
One of many high priorities for the Bruins this season is cultivating the expansion of Boston’s subsequent wave of expertise — be within the NHL ranks or additional down the pipeline.
Minten was a standout throughout camp, with the 21-year-old incomes a spot as Boston’s third-line heart throughout preseason motion. However, can any gamers down in Windfall be a part of him this season?
A robust exhibiting from Matt Poitras in Windfall would speed up his path again to Boston, whereas different gamers within the AHL like Frederic Brunet and Dans Locmelis may additionally earn seems to be within the NHL.
He’s not a prospect anymore, however Lohrei can be a youthful participant with loads of show after going by means of some defensive-zone rising pains below heavy minutes final season. If he can treatment a few of the warts in his sport, the 6-foot-4 blueliner could possibly be a weapon on Boston’s blue line.
After all, many of the optimism rooted in Boston’s prospect pool is rooted within the school sport, the place followers will likely be holding shut tabs on BC sophomore James Hagens and an Eagles membership that includes a number of Bruins prospects. If Hagens thrives in his second yr at Chestnut Hill, he may earn a cup of espresso with the Bruins by the spring.
Will a captain emerge?
Don Sweeney, Sturm, and Boston’s veterans have all brushed apart considerations over the workforce’s emptiness at captain coming into a brand new season — choosing a pacesetter to emerge via an “organic” process as the year carries on.
Pastrnak and McAvoy are the leaders within the clubhouse with regards to the probability of finally getting a “C” stamped on their sweater, however how that course of performs out and the way that duo navigates what could possibly be a tumultuous season will likely be price monitoring.
Past dealing away their former captain in Brad Marchand, the Bruins misplaced a number of pillars of their former management hierarchy on the commerce deadline in Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle.
The onus will likely be on returning veterans like Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov — coupled with offseason pickups like Jeannot and Sean Kuraly — to fortify Boston’s management group past Pastrnak and McAvoy.
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