Date de création initiale: 3 juill. 2022

Publié: 3 juill. 2022

Équipe: 2022-23 Bruins de Boston

Bergeron, Krejci, Radulov, and Yandle all sign 35+ contracts with performance bonuses, the latter two more difficult to achieve than the former. Other moves improve the depth, critical with the injury situation and age of the team.

Early season lineup with Marchy, McAvoy, and Grz out:
DeBrusk-Bergeron-Radulov
Hall-Krejci-Pastrnak
Frederic-Coyle-Smith
Haula-Studnicka-Steen
Nosek/Gaudette

Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Zboril
Yandle-Clifton
Davies

Radulov, who had his best NHL season under Montgomery, signs a cheap deal and gets a shot on the “first line” to begin the year. He and DeBrusk battle to stay on that line once Marchand returns. Under Montgomery, I could see the end of a true fourth line in Boston. I think the Coyle line becomes your shutdown line and then you get another offensive line who plays closer to fourth line minutes. In this scenario, you get Haula-Studnicka-Steen to start with the best youngster sticking in the lineup to play with Radulov or DeBrusk, while the other is the next man up. Northeastern alums Gaudette and Davies return to Boston with the promise of starting the season on the NHL roster but will inevitably become top AHL options instead. Nosek also ends up in Providence after an underwhelming season, though still a good option in case the forward corps needs more defensive help. Yandle returns home to Boston for what could be his final season now that the iron man streak is over. Yandle is no longer an everyday defenseman but can sub in early on and still inject offense from time to time. He, Clifton, Davies, Santini, and Ahcan provide great depth behind the starting six, something the Bruins have needed every year. Up front, the depth is also vastly improved in Providence when you consider Nosek and Gaudette would join a few other vets in Wagner, Froden, and Fogarty and four exciting first-year pros. Plus, Khudobin returns to the organization as good security in net. Even if the Bruins have to slightly sweeten the pot, I’m sure Khudobin wants out of Dallas and Foligno didn’t work out in Boston. Each team would be happier to use their cap space on the other.

This roster is deep and experienced with room for some young players to develop as well and is more offensively slanted, which works under Montgomery. There’s also cap space, which admittedly should be used to cover some of the bonuses in those four contracts, but if need be would create some decent flexibility at the deadline as well.

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