Bruins Season Preview: The Don Sweeney era is upon us
The Boston Bruins made significant changes after missing the playoffs last season - albeit by only two points in the Eastern Conference standings - for the first time in eight years.
The biggest shake-up took place in the front office, where general manager Peter Chiarelli was canned (and quickly scooped up by the Edmonton Oilers), and replaced by his long-time assistant and former Bruins defenseman Don Sweeney. The new GM surely left an immediate mark on the club, but whether the on-ice product is improved from last year remains to be seen.
Sweeney spent his summer jettisoning Dougie Hamilton, Milan Lucic, and Reilly Smith, while adding Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, and Matt Irwin - not to mention a slew of draft picks and a few prospects - thereby drastically changing the complexion of the depth chart while largely keeping the core group intact.
He also made waves by signing defenseman Adam McQuaid to a four-year contract extension, and trading a draft pick in exchange for Zac Rinaldo.
At the end of the day, any team that boasts the likes of Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron, is well-positioned to compete. But the young guys will need to step up, new players will need to quickly adapt to their new surroundings, and a shaky back end will need to remain sturdy enough to protect the net.
While they should be good enough to make the playoffs, this certainly isn't the Boston team that had an annual shot at the Stanley Cup for a good four-to-five year stretch not that long ago. Add it all up, and the Bruins appear destined to once again be a middle-of-the-pack bubble team in the East.
Projected Depth Chart
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Marchand | Patrice Bergeron | Jimmy Hayes |
| Matt Beleskey | David Krejci | Brett Connolly |
| Loui Eriksson | Ryan Spooner | David Pastrnak |
| Zac Rinaldo | Chris Kelly | Max Talbot |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Zdeno Chara | Adam McQuaid |
| Dennis Seidenberg | Kevan Miller |
| Torey Krug | Matt Irwin |
| Goalie |
|---|
| Tuukka Rask |
| Malcolm Subban |
X-Factor
As the Bruins' sticks were sputtering around like a run-down Vista Cruiser last season, 18-year-old David Pastrnak offered a healthy dose of youthful exuberance, and invigorated a moribund offense, to the tune of 10 goals and 17 assists in 46 games.
With a bit of tape to work with this year, opponents will be that much more aware of what he brings to the table. But Pastrnak should still be able to succeed in a sheltered role within head coach Claude Julien's system.
A third-line role alongside Ryan Spooner - with whom he displayed great chemistry last season - plus the guidance of veteran Loui Eriksson, is likely to be enough to not only help Pastrnak avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, but also build on his stellar half-season as a rookie.
Player to Watch
Center David Krejci signed a six-year, $43.5 million contract extension last summer, and his new $7.25-million average annual salary kicks in once the puck drops on Oct. 8.
The 29-year-old stumbled through the final year of his previous deal, however, missing almost half the season with a hip injury and recording just 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists).
Krejci's presence in the lineup was dearly missed, further exacerbating the hole that existed at right wing on his line to begin with.
While Spooner and Pastrnak emerged to help offset the loss, they'll ideally be pushed down the lineup with a healthy Krejci ready to reclaim his spot in the top six. As the team's highest-paid player - making more than each of Rask, Chara and Bergeron - Krejci quite simply must return to his old form, displaying his balance between offensive effectiveness and defensive responsibility.
If he can't, the Bruins will be in tough to get back into the playoffs.