Bruins
Hockey is sort of back in Boston.
While the Bruins' full squad isn’t expected to return to training camp until September 18, several regular players have already hit the ice at Warrior Ice Arena as a part of the captain's training sessions organized by the players.
It's an exciting first step at the beginning of any recent NHL season as players begin to shake off the rust of the offseason. Boston's 2024-25 roster includes many recent faces and younger players trying to tackle greater roles in the longer term.
As on-ice training intensifies in the approaching weeks, here's a take a look at five lineup and roster battles value keeping track of once training camp begins.
Second line right wing
The Bruins used most of their financial flexibility within the offseason to sign a top center in Elias Lindholm, an imposing defenseman in Nikita Zadorov and a few sluggers for the fourth line in Max Jones.
However, since the Bruins also had to save lots of a ton of cash to provide Jeremy Swayman a big raise, Boston was unable to sign a top-6 winger to interchange Jake DeBrusk this summer.
As polarizing as DeBrusk could also be for some Bruins fans, he was a reliable winger who scored 20 goals and developed right into a very strong forward and backward player in Boston – making him a reliable player in Jim Montgomery's system.
While the Bruins' first line of Lindholm, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha is kind of promising, it stays to be seen who will complete the second line of experienced players, which can likely include Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand.
While the Bruins could determine to easily promote a longtime NHL player like Morgan Geekie or Trent Frederic to fill that spot in the highest six, Boston's depth would profit from keeping those two forwards further back within the lineup to reap the benefits of potential opponents.
The best-case scenario for Boston could be for 21-year-old Fabian Lysell to fill that key position within the lineup, giving the team an especially talented and cheap player who could help alongside Coyle and Marchand on offense.
Lysell has been consistently knocking around for NHL representation over the past 12 months and Boston should give him every opportunity this preseason to earn his spot with the massive club.
In addition to Lysell, the Bruins could also consider an experienced player with a paid contract like Tyler Johnson to fill that role, although Lysell actually has the higher odds.
A powerful training camp from Lysell would make it much easier for Jim Montgomery, Don Sweeney and the remaining of the Boston team to place the puzzle pieces together up front.
Substitute goalkeeper
There is little doubt that probably the most pressing query remaining for the Bruins is when the team and Swayman will finalize a brand new contract.
But there remains to be a number of uncertainty in regards to the remainder of Boston's newly formed goaltending corps now that Linus Ullmark is manning the online in Ottawa.
While the Bruins have done all the things right regarding veteran Joonas Korpisalo and his possibilities of orchestrating a comeback season in Boston, the presence of Brandon Bussi poses an interesting conundrum.
If you focus solely on asset management, there may be an excellent case for Bussi to start out the 12 months with the Bruins and Korpisalo to be released and sent to Providence – assuming each goalies are evenly matched within the preseason.
After two promising seasons in Providence, Bussi seemed destined for NHL representation before Korpisalo was added within the Ullmark trade. And with Bussi not exempt from waiver, the Bruins risk losing a solid young goalie for nothing in the event that they send him to Providence and check out to play with Korpisalo.
Even though the Bruins are banking on Korpisalo's potential, things could get interesting if Bussi performs well within the preseason. If the Bruins do indeed place Korpisalo on waivers, it's unlikely any team will take him on his current contract, so Boston could save a little bit of money ($1.15 million) by stashing him within the AHL.
This goalie battle could resolve itself if certainly one of Bussi/Korpisalo completely outdoes the opposite in the approaching weeks. But what if it's close? Then the Bruins will face a difficult decision.
Third Line Center
Just as Lysell secured a spot on the 2RW position, the Bruins would really like to see Matthew Poitras dominate within the preseason and emerge victorious within the battle for third-line center spots.
The 20-year-old center exceeded expectations by making the NHL roster straight from training camp last fall, scoring 13 points in his first 27 games and averaging 14:06 minutes on the ice per game.
As the season progressed, nevertheless, the rookie hit a dead end. His expected problems were compounded by a shoulder injury he suffered in a game against the Coyotes on December 9. After that game, Poitras played eight more games, scoring three points and averaging 11:18 minutes on the ice before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
Now that he's healthy again, the stronger Poitras needs to be able to construct on his performances from last season. But if the Bruins feel he still needs more experience in Providence, the team now has the choice (unlike last 12 months) to send him to the AHL to work on his skills and construct his confidence against weaker opponents.
If Poitras struggles a bit early on, giving him 10 to fifteen games in the primary line and lots of power play in Providence is an excellent option to get him back on course.
Another promising player trying to carve out a job for himself within the NHL is Georgii Merkulov, who could also compete for the 3C spot. His age (he turns 24 on October 10) and established performance in Providence (65 points in 67 games) make him an asset, as he appears to have already made probably the most of his time within the AHL.
Tyler Johnson – a natural midfielder – is the following man in line for some minutes in the center, while Montgomery can even turn to Geekie or Frederic to take over the centre position if needed.
Fourth line
Montgomery and Co. shouldn’t have any shortage of options relating to forming a nimble but physical fourth line.
Max Jones, Mark Kastelic and Johnny Beecher would make a robust checking unit trio, especially since each Kastelic and Beecher excel on faceoffs. Justin Brazeau could also get a likelihood on that line, although it may well be argued that if he impresses during practice, he should compete more for minutes on the third line.
As with any training camp, the Bruins can have to organize for a number of young players attempting to get some NHL minutes. Woburn's Riley Duran is anticipated to be a future starter on the fourth line in the end.
Reshuffle of the D Corps
On paper, the Bruins' six-man formation on the blue line appears to be set with Charlie McAvoy, Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Mason Lohrei and Andrew Peeke.
It stays to be seen how exactly Montgomery and his team organize this six-man unit, with Zadorov offering plenty of pleasure as a physical (and puck-moving) addition to the highest pairing alongside McAvoy. If Zadorov doesn't gel with McAvoy, Boston's D-corps could face a more drastic shakeup that might split the Lindholm-Carlo pairing.
Zadorov's presence higher up the order gives Boston the luxurious of slowly integrating Lohrei right into a full-time NHL role on the third pair of defense while also allowing him playing time on the second power play unit.
But Lohrei doesn’t enter training camp expecting to be given playing time.
“It's never easy,” Lohrei said last month. “You always have to work for it, you have to earn it. So it's a new year and of course you go to training camp – I don't even know how many defensemen come to training camp. But everyone wants to make the team, right?”
“So I have to show up and just do my best to play and do what I do. It's only year two. So I'm excited and just want to go out there and prove what I can do and I plan to keep improving.”
Both Lohrei and Peeke had impressive performances in Boston's second-round exit to the Panthers in May, but Parker Wotherspoon may also look to pressure each players to earn regular playing time.
image credit : www.boston.com