As we approach the 2016-17 season, we’re previewing what’s ahead for each of the 30 NHL teams. Here’s a look at the Boston Bruins.
MAIN SUMMER HEADLINES
• Krug, Krejci, Beleskey undergo off-season surgery
• Krug signs four-year extension
• Bruins sign Backes to five-year, $30 million contract
• Bruins sign Marchand to eight-year, $49 million extension
Head coach: Claude Julien
GM: Don Sweeney
Team payroll: $67.17 million ($73 million salary cap)
2015-16 Record: 42-31-9 (Fourth in Atlantic)
GF: 240 (Fifth in NHL)
GA: 230 (19th in NHL)
Result: Missed playoffs by tie-breaker with Red Wings
Key acquisitions: David Backes, Dominic Moore, Riley Nash
Key departures: Loui Eriksson, Dennis Seidenberg, Landon Ferraro, Chris Kelly, Brett Connolly
Rookies to watch: Keep your eyes on goaltender Malcolm Subban. He may not make the Bruins out of training camp with Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin locked into one-way deals, but Subban has the talent to knock on the door. The 22-year-old had a scary end to his 2015-16 campaign, with a puck fracturing his larynx in February, but he’s fully recovered and raring to go.
In the AHL last season, Subban posted a .911 save percentage, 2.46 goals-against average and 14 wins in 27 games.
Beyond that, since the Bruins’ defence appears in decline, it’s worth watching how some of their young defencemen do in camp. Brandon Carlo, a 6-foot-5 second-round pick from 2015 is a stay-at-home specialist with puck-moving upside. Jakub Zboril, the 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft, is 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds but hasn’t played a game of professional hockey in North America yet. Jeremy Lauzon, another second-rounder from 2015 with perhaps the most offensive upside, is another blueliner with an outside shot.
Then, of course, the Bruins have two defenders who are fresh out of four years of college: Rob O’Gara and Matt Grzelcyk. If one of these players makes enough noise at camp to crack the roster, the Bruins may have to move someone.
Boston will have a successful season if…
Rask plays like a Vezina Trophy contender and the defence holds its ground.
The 29-year-old Finnish netminder dropped off to a .915 save percentage over 64 appearances last season, which is a far cry from his career average of .924. He’s still in his prime so there’s no reason to think he can’t rebound.
As for the defenders in front of Rask, the committee is going to have to prove dependable enough to lighten 39-year-old Zdeno Chara’s workload. That will be a considerable challenge, especially at the beginning of the season—with Torey Krug likely sidelined for the first month (at least) after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.
It means John-Michael Liles will have to drive possession, Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller will have to be dependable and physical, and Colin Miller and Joe Morrow will have to take the next steps in their respective careers.
Boston will have an unsuccessful season if…
The defence or goaltending is anything less than spectacular.
The team may have lost 30-goal man Loui Eriksson, but signing David Backes and Dominic Moore gave them a much deeper group at the centre position.
David Krejci should be fully recovered from off-season hip surgery, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are peaking, and David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano are the youth injection this offence needs.
But solid and steady offence isn’t going to make up for below average defence or goaltending. We saw that last season, as the Bruins scored the fifth-most goals in the NHL (240), allowed the 12th-most (230) and failed to qualify for the post-season.
Defence is the real concern on this team. As noted above, it’s going to take a herculean effort from every player on Boston’s blue line to be above average.
In net, Rask is either going to have to get back to his regular self or one of Khudobin or Subban will have to emerge as a star.
