It's been an offseason of change for the Bruins, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years. The first significant change came April 15, when general manager Peter Chiarelli was fired and replaced by assistant GM Don Sweeney. After a couple weeks on the job, Sweeney decided to retain coach Claude Julien and his staff once Sweeney felt comfortable they were on the same page about making the Bruins more aggressive. The Bruins had a busy weekend at the 2015 NHL Draft. Sweeney traded restricted free agent defenseman Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames after it became apparent Boston wasn't going to be able to re-sign him. With forward Milan Lucic heading toward unrestricted free agency next summer, Sweeney traded him to the Los Angeles Kings. The Bruins acquired mainly draft picks and prospects for each player.
When free agency opened July 1, Sweeney signed left wing Matt Beleskey from the Anaheim Ducks to boost an offense that was tied for 22nd in the NHL (2.55 goals per game). Beleskey scored an NHL career-high 22 goals last season.
Sweeney also traded forward Reilly Smith to the Florida Panthers for forward Jimmy Hayes, who scored 19 goals last season. Defenseman Zdeno Chara, centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, forward Brad Marchand and goaltender Tuukka Rask remain the pillars of the Bruins after Sweeney's remodel. The first-year general manager is counting on that veteran group becoming reinvigorated.
Bergeron won his third Selke Trophy last season and led Boston with 55 points. He and the Bruins will benefit from having a healthy Krejci, who was limited to 47 games. Krejci, who has averaged 0.74 points per game in his NHL career, should be fully recovered from a knee injury and a mysterious lower- or mid-body injury that slowed the 29-year-old early in the season. Despite the decision to trade pending unrestricted free agent Carl Soderberg to the Colorado Avalanche, the Bruins look like they're still three-deep at center because of the emergence late last season of Ryan Spooner. The 2010 second-round pick had eight goals and 18 points in 29 games after proving to Julien he could adjust his game to fit the Bruins system.
Although it remains to be seen how the line combinations will shake out, Beleskey and Hayes will join Marchand, Brett Connolly and David Pastrnak to form a deeper group on the wings. The Hamilton trade left a void on the Bruins defense, but six regulars, led by Chara, Dennis Seidenberg and Torey Krug, are likely to return. With several free agent defensemen available and trade talks ongoing, Sweeney might not be done making moves that will improve the Bruins' chances of returning to the playoffs in 2016.
Don Sweeney, who was promoted from assistant GM to replace Chiarelli on May 20, traded defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Milan Lucic on June 26, then made two moves July 1 aiming to improve Boston's youth and depth and get the Bruins back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs after they failed to qualify for the first time since 2007.
On the list of reasons Boston finished tied for 22nd in the NHL in scoring (2.55 goals per game) last season, center David Krejci missing 35 games because of injuries is at the top. Krejci, who had 31 points in 47 games after he had 69 in 80 in 2013-14, should be back at full health this season. The Bruins hope some new players will help Krejci give the offense a jolt. Matt Beleskey, who scored 22 goals with the Anaheim Ducks last season, signed as an unrestricted free agent July 1. That day, the Bruins traded Reilly Smith to the Florida Panthers for Jimmy Hayes; Smith scored 13 goals last season, Hayes had 19. Then there are the young players who have to continue to blossom. Center Ryan Spooner had five goals and four assists in Boston's final 12 games to finish with 18 points in 29 games. Right wing David Pastrnak had 27 points in 46 games as a rookie. Beyond left wing Brad Marchand and center Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins no longer have a lot of forwards with experience playing together. So they'll have to mix and match to find the right place in the lineup for the above-mentioned players, plus Brett Connolly, Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly.
After signing Matt Irwin on July 11, Sweeney has refrained from acquiring another free agent defenseman. The Bruins have six returning defensemen, including Kevan Miller, who was limited to 41 games because of injuries last season, but Boston is lacking a player with the two-way abilities of Hamilton.
Barring an acquisition, a prospect will have a chance to fill that role. Zach Trotman fared well as Zdeno Chara's partner when Hamilton was injured last season. Joe Morrow also might get a chance. The Bruins will be looking at Colin Miller for the first time after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Lucic trade. Improved play from Torey Krug and 34-year-old Dennis Seidenberg, a full season removed from serious knee surgery, would soften the blow of losing Hamilton.
No. 1 goalie, Tuukka Rask, played an NHL career-high 70 games,third most in the League, last season. He had a 2.30 goals-against average and .922 save percentage but at times looked worn out when Boston needed him most. With Niklas Svedberg leaving for the Kontinental Hockey League in May, the Bruins have three untested goaltenders behind Rask. Only Malcolm Subban has any NHL experience, and he played a little more than one period in the League. First-year pro Zach McIntyre, and Jeremy Smith, a Nashville Predators second-round pick in 2007, are also expected to compete for the backup job. In order to get back to the playoffs, the Bruins are going to have to do a better job of preserving Rask's best play, but it's uncertain whether they have the depth to do that. Tuukka Rask remains an elite goalie: The 2013-14 Vezina Trophy winner didn't match his superb season in 2014-15, but he was very good. He had a .930 even-strength save percentage and his .872 shorthanded save percentage was actually better than in his Vezina season (.868). Rask, 28, said he didn't feel any worse for wear and was able to recover quickly after his most active season as a pro.
Despite all the issues the Bruins had last season, they finished within two points of a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. A win here or there, especially if they fared better than 4-10 in shootouts, and the Bruins would have extended their postseason streak to eight seasons. Instead, they went home at the end of the regular season for the first time since 2007. The Bruins are banking on a few new faces in the lineup to get them back in the playoffs.
Strength up the middle: Assuming a return to full health by David Krejci after he missed 35 games last season, the Bruins' top two centers, with Patrice Bergeron, remain the envy of all but a handful of teams in the NHL. Bergeron won his third Selke Trophy last season after leading the NHL in faceoff percentage (.606). He led the Bruins with 55 points, and at 30 years old seems to be improving every season. Krejci had 31 points in his 47 games despite lackluster performances from many of Boston's wings. He had 69 points in 80 games two seasons ago.The Bruins were able to trade pending unrestricted free agent center Carl Soderberg to the Colorado Avalanche because Ryan Spooner emerged as a top-three center. The 23-year-old had 18 points in 24 games in the second half of the season, including five goals and four assists in the final 12.
It took Sweeney a couple weeks after he was promoted to GM to decide what to do about the coach. He wound up retaining Claude Julien and his staff. The philosophies that have been adopted and the accountability that has been instilled by Julien and his assistants has paid off with the growth of a winning culture. One season out of the playoffs didn't change the Bruins brass' opinion.
Sweeney wants to add an element of aggression that will cause anxiety in opponents. Julien has shown the ability to tweak the Bruins' approach while maintaining the type of defensive responsibility that is the foundation for most championship teams. Given a healthy roster, Julien should be able to adapt again.
By trading defenseman Dougie Hamilton, forward Milan Lucic and goaltender Martin Jones (who had been acquired in the trade for Lucic), Sweeney stocked up on prospects and draft picks for this year and next. The Bruins made 10 picks, including five in the first two rounds, at the 2015 NHL Draft to restock their system with prospects. Next year, the Bruins have their first-round pick and one from the San Jose Sharks. Combine the infusion of young talent with some flexibility under the NHL salary cap, and the Bruins aren't just in win-now mode; they're back to believing they can contend for the Stanley Cup several years in a row.
When Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was hired this offseason, he decided he had a mandate to get them back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs while replenishing their prospect pool so they'd be able to have sustained success beyond. The Bruins restocked at the 2015 NHL Draft by making 10 picks, including five in the first two rounds. Some of those came in trades for defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Milan Lucic.
Danton Heinen, F
How acquired: 4th round (No. 116), 2014 NHL DraftLast season: Denver, NCHC: 40 GP, 16-29-45
Heinen (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) was considered too small to get drafted by the Western Hockey League. So he decided to go to college and was the third-leading scorer among NCAA freshmen last season, behind Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres) and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings). Heinen led Denver in points and assists. A desire to use his time at Denver to get stronger kept Heinen, 20, from turning pro this summer.
Malcolm Subban, G
How acquired: 1st round (No. 24), 2012 NHL Draft
Last season: Providence, AHL: 35 GP, 16-13-4, 2.44 GAA, .921 save percentage
Someday, Subban and the Bruins hope, his NHL debut will be reduced to a footnote on a lengthy, successful career. Thrust into the Bruins lineup in February, Subban lasted 31 minutes against the St. Louis Blues before he was replaced after allowing three goals on three shots in the second period. He made three saves on three shots in the first period. Subban (6-foot-2, 200) endured an up-and-down second season as a pro with Providence but made the necessary improvements that could make the 20-year-old Tuukka Rask's backup this season.
Jakub Zboril, D
How acquired: 1st round (No. 13), 2015 NHL Draft
Last season: Saint John, QMJHL: 44 GP, 13-20-33
Years from now, it might turn out that Zboril is Hamilton's replacement as the cornerstone of the Bruins defensemen after Zdeno Chara retires. Zboril (6-foot, 200) has a good combination of skill and physicality. The Bruins wasted little time getting Zboril, 18, to sign an entry-level contract after he was drafted. He was one of three finalists for the Michael Bossy Trophy as the top professional prospect in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Jake DeBrusk, F
How acquired: 1st round (No. 14), 2015 NHL Draft
Last season: Swift Current, WHL: 72 GP, 42-39-81
The 6-foot, 174-pound wing wowed observers at Bruins development camp with a between-the-legs goal during a shootout. Trick shots aside, DeBrusk has the type of scoring touch the Bruins were looking to add to their depth chart. His 42 goals led Swift Current and were tied for sixth in the WHL. The 18-year-old is the son of former NHL forward Louie DeBrusk.
Joe Morrow, D
How acquired: Traded by Dallas Stars on July 4, 2013
Last season: Bruins: 15 GP, 1-0-1; Providence, AHL: 33 GP 3-9-12
After playing for three organizations in his first two pro seasons, the 22-year-old got to settle in with Boston. Known for his offense (he had 64 points for Portland of the Western Hockey League in 2011-12), Morrow (6-foot-1, 204 pounds) showed his responsible side during his brief stint with the Bruins. He stopped taking risks, and it paid off in a top-four role. Injuries after his return to Providence cost him another chance with Boston in the second half of the season. With Hamilton gone, there's an opening among Boston's top four, and the 2011 first-round pick (No. 23) by the Pittsburgh Penguins could make good on his high ceiling.
Predicted Lines
63 Marchand - 37 Bergeron - 11 Hayes
39 Beleskey - 46 Krejci - 88 Pastrnak
14 Connolly - 51 Spooner - 21 Eriksson
25 Talbot - 23 Kelly - # Rinaldo
33 Chara - 86 Miller
47 Krug - 54 McQuaid
44 Seidenberg - # Irwin
40 Rask - 70 Subban
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