This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.
Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being underway, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.
Key Exits: Joonas Korpisalo (G), Viktor Arvidsson (LW), Fabian Lysell (RW), Andrew Peeke (D), Riley Tufte (LW), Victor Soderstrom (D), Michael Callahan (D), Matej Blumel (LW/RW)
Key Arrivals: J.J. Peterka (RW), Ivan Ivan (C), Jiri Patera (G), William Borgen (D), Connor Clifton (D), Brendan Gaunce (C), Brian Halonen (LW)
Top prospects: Dean Letourneau (C, 20), James Hagens (C, 19), Yuri Ivanov (G, 18), William Zellers (LW, 20), Matthew Poitras (C, 22), Georgii Merkulov (C, 25), Oskar Jellvik (LW, 23), Frédéric Brunet (D, 22)
First when Zdeno Chara retired, then when it was Patrice Bergeron's (and David Krjeci's) turn, the question was when the Boston Bruins would have to cut ties with their veterans and rebuild; yet they made it to the second rtound the following season, missed the playoffs the next, and lost a heavily contested series 4-2 to the Buffalo Sabres last year.
What makes their odds look good:
Never count the Bruins out, not with David Pastrnak, not with Jeremy Swayman, not with Charlie McAvoy, and not with Morgan Geekie last year, either.
Question marks:
Boston (GM Don Sweeney and President Cam Neely) sees top-six potential in Peterka, Fraser Minten and Hagens, which means that in the next year or two, they feel their top-nine will be able to rival the Florida Panthers'. We'll see - I just got my head around the fact that Geekie is a real, dependable 30-goal scorer.
Outlook:
They can finish anywhere between fourth and
Prediction:
7th in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins are the team that selected McAvoy 14th overall in 2016, behind Jesse Puljujarvi (4th, Edmonton Oilers), Olli Juolevi (5th, Vancouver Canucks), Alex Nylander (8th, Sabres), Tyson Jost (10th, Colorado Avalanche), Logan Brown (11th, Ottawa Senators), Michael McLeod (12th, New Jersey Devils), and Jake Bean (13th, Carolina Hurricanes).
They are also the team that had three consecutive draft picks in that same range in 2015 and only ended up with Jakub Zbořil, Jake DeBrusk, and Zachary Senyshyn.
Which is to say that their scouting staff is pretty hit-or-miss, which is how I felt when they acquired Matt Bartkowski from the Panthers with Dennis Seidenberg for Craig Weller, Byron Bitz and a second-round pick that ended up being Alexander Petrovic. Bartkowski was never an offensive force from the blue line, so he was expected to become a steady defender. The team did include him in their on-ice 2011 Stanley Cup celebrations, but left him off the Cup itself as he had only suited up in 6 regular-season games and none in the playoffs. He would never suit up for more than 64 games for Boston in any given year, and after 80 games with the Canucks in 2015-16, he would not suit up for more than 24 in an NHL season ever again.
Because of the time he spent with the Bruins (5 of his 11 NHL seasons), thatMs the team I think of most when I think of him; that, and the signed version of card #654 from Panini's 2011-12 Score set, Rookies And Traded and Hot Rookies sub-sets, that I got in a Presstine repack from a dollar store:
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