2014-2015 Review
The Boston Bruins were again one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and compete for a Stanley Cup. The Bruins were not able to live up to those expectations. Important players like David Krejci and Zdeno Chara were hampered by injuries as the team began to show the wear and tear of competing for a cup for the last five years. The Bruins were only the 22nd ranked offense in the league, scoring 2.5 GPG. The defense, though, was as strong as ever despite Chara’s injuries. Dennis Seidenberg, Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug played key roles on the 8th best defense in the league according to GAA. Tuukka Rask was again an elite goaltender for the Bruins, playing in 70 games. They ended up missing the playoffs, but there is hope of a quick rebound.
New Additions
Matt Beleskey
A relative unknown before the season started, Belesky made a name for himself in the playoffs with the Anaheim Ducks. Beleskey scored eight goals in the postseason, including one in each game in the Calgary series. He continued his goal scoring ways by netting three goals in the Western Conference Finals against Chicago. In the playoffs, he played like a top 6 forward on the Ryan Kesler line and the 22nd offense in the league last year could use that kind of help.
Jimmy Hayes
The former Chicago Blackhawk had his first real chance last year to prove he was a top six forward. For the first time he played 15 minutes, and he responded by scoring 19 goals in 72 games for the Florida Panthers. He could also see time on the power play a year after scoring 11 points on the Panthers power play. At 6’6’’, Hayes has the potential to be one of the better power forwards in the league, and at age 25 he could still reach it.
Key Losses
Dougie Hamilton
Hamilton was one of three Bruins to get 20 or more minutes a game last year, and became more and more important when Chara’s injuries began to pile up. His trade to the Flames means that the Bruins lose one of their two most promising defenders, the other one being Torey Krug.
Milan Lucic
The longtime Bruin power forward parted ways with the team after eight seasons. He had a bit of a down year last year with only 44 points and 18 goals. What the Bruins will miss most about Lucic is his performances in the postseason. He had 61 points in 96 postseason games, and had a career 40 +/- in the postseason. He was arguably the team’s best power forward, and his presence will be missed.
Biggest Strength
Depth
The team may not have any super stars, but they do have good players in each position. They have a few top notch forwards in David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Loui Eriksson. The defenders Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid make one of the best top fours in the league. Tuukka Rask is one of the most dependable goaltenders in the league.
Biggest Weakness
Age
The problem with the Bruins is a lot of those key players have a lot of mileage on them. Zdeno Chara is the most obvious at 38, but lots of others are in their 30’s. Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson and Dennis Seidenberg are stars that have played in a lot of post seasons, and eventually all of those games will catch up to them.
Bottom Line
The Bruins have all the talent to be a cup contender again. They have good players in every key position. The only problem is if injuries will continue to derail their campaign for another Cup. Having a healthy David Krejci will greatly improve the 22nd ranked offense in the NHL last year. Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid should round out one of the best top four defender groups. Tuukka Rask was tied with Henrik Lundqvist for tenth best SV%.
Fantasy Slant
Most Overrated: Zdeno Chara
At the age of 38, Chara is no longer one of the top defenders in the league. He will probably see less minutes because of his injury issues. Even without those, his numbers have been steadily decreasing over the last four years. While he is still for sure a top line defender, the problem is that many will still think he is a top 10 defender in the league.
Most Underrated: David Krejci
Krejci was on the track for having four straight, not including the lockout, 60 plus point seasons before getting injured. He is one of the most dependable guys there is; when has played in at least 75 games in his career he has put up 50 or more points. He also has a career 104 +/-, including two seasons with over 30 +/-. He is about as trustworthy as they come for centers.
Biggest Surprise: Matt Beleskey
Beleskey had big playoffs, and with consistent top 6 minutes could definitely build off of that. He now has the chance to play with either Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci, who both have more offensive potential than former teammate Ryan Kesler. The Bruins brought him in to score goals, so expect him to score plenty of those.