The dog days of the summer are upon us. With the NHL Draft, free agency frenzy, and development camps already under wraps, it’s onto summer vacations. October is not that far away, and it’s never too early to take a look at what potential lineups look like.
General Manager Don Sweeney spent money this offseason, bringing in center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Other depth moves were made, but that leads us to what lineups can look like.
There is a very strong case to be made that the Bruins are a better team right now than they were to begin the 2023-24 season. They are deeper on both ends of the ice and still have the goaltending to remain a strength. Based on the constructed roster, we can dive into what the projected lineups could look like come opening night. The forward group is deeper and should give the Bruins a great competitive edge.
Line 1: Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, David Pastrnak
Number one centers do not grow on trees nor come around often. Two more prominent names for centers signed with their respective teams before the 2023-24 regular season ended. Elias Pettersson signed a massive contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks, while Sebastian Aho stayed put with the Carolina Hurricanes. That’s not to say the Bruins would target those players, but both have become true number-one centers for their respective teams. That left the Bruins to pivot and add Lindholm. The Bruins got their number-one center and got better as well. Sweeney has already gone on to say where Lindholm will likely play.
Lindholm has shown in the past that he can be a true number-one center. His best season came during the 2021-22 season, where he was a point-per-game player. Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk flanked him, and together, the trio became one of the most dynamic lines in the league. Together, they scored the most goals of any line combination (72), and averaged 4.48 goals for per 60 minutes. It’s tremendously impressive. However, since then, Lindholm has seen a dip in his production. Now, he will have a chance to get his production back on track playing alongside Pastrnak.
Related: Zadorov & Lindholm Provide Needed Depth for the Bruins
The Bruins are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. For example, in a one-for-one trade with the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins got younger and took a chance on Pavel Zacha. Zacha had the luxury of playing with fellow countrymen Pastrnak and David Krejci. The results were a career year in 2022-23 and then another one in 2023-24. Playing with Pastrnak has its perks, and it could benefit Lindholm.
Lindholm is a good playmaker, as nearly half of his assists this season were primary assists. He excels in the faceoff circle, which is a major improvement for the Bruins. He should be placed in key situations and, overall, would give the team a boost from a puck possession perspective. Pastrnak is coming off a second straight 100+ point season and scored 47 goals. Zacha moving over from the center position to the wing is something that suits him better but also gives the Bruins options for the other lines. The Bruins have a new look top line, but the second line is also one to keep an eye on.
Line 2: Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, TBD
All eyes are going to be on training camp this season. As the Bruins watched Jake DeBrusk skate into Vancouver and sign a long-term deal with the Canucks, there is a vacant spot on the second line. Sweeney has already said he will give a young player that spot. Those players will likely be Fabian Lysell and Geogii Merkulov.
Lysell has continued to develop with the Providence Bruins. The 2022-23 season saw him tally 14 goals and 37 points. This season, he was able to take his game to the next level. He scored one more goal but added to his point total (50), seeing a substantial increase in his game. After getting called out by his coach in December, he went on to turn things around. It is going to be an important camp for Lysell, who will look to show the Bruins he is ready to take the next step. Lysell is a dynamic offensive presence, using his speed and skill to create chances. But he is not alone in fighting for this spot.
Merkulov is coming off back-to-back good seasons for the Providence Bruins. In 2022-23, he finished with 24 goals and 55 points. He elevated his play up a notch and scored 30 goals and 65 points, so seeing an uptick in production is great. Also, he got a small taste of the NHL with four games. Adding a dynamic offensive threat is a huge benefit for Marchand and Coyle.
Both Coyle and Marchand spent time together during the 2023-24 season. It was the first time in a long time Marchand would play with someone not named Patrice Bergeron. Despite getting out-chanced and dominated in puck possession time, the duo had a positive goal differential. Adding a premiere scorer could go a long way to further success. Marchand and Coyle showed they could produce. Coyle had a career year (25 goals, 60 points), and Marchand had a strong 67-point season. Also, they are defensive-minded players who are strong at both ends of the ice. Given their ability to excel in the high-danger areas and go into puck battles, having a scorer to get extra open ice is a big bonus for those two. The Bruins are entering a season wondering where the extra layer of scoring will come from. Having someone step up to the forefront is going to be huge for the club.
Line 3: Matthew Poitras, Morgan Geekie, Trent Frederic
We have entered a league where most centers these days can also be wingers. That’s evident with this trio, as all three can play both positions. This is a line that also has a bit of everything. Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic are strong forecheckers and battle hard along the boards. Matthew Poitras is the more skilled and dynamic forward of the trio. In fact, this line spent time together and often made strong plays when doing so.
This line spent 39 minutes together, which is not a lot, but in that span, they were effective. When on the ice together, puck possession was a 50/50 split. They did a good job of generating scoring chances and scored right at their expected rate as a line. But it is a line that complements one another and gives the Bruins a well-rounded third line.
Geekie is coming off a career season of 17 goals and 39 points. Frederic did the same and flashed how lethal his shot could be. He’s become more than the fourth-line bruiser that former head coach Bruce Cassidy had him play. Poitras was a strong and emerging presence, poised to bounce back in the second season as he returns from injury. The fourth line remains the more complex, as there are a slew of options.
Line 4: John Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Max Jones
Sweeney has always managed to find impactful depth. Going into the 2024-25 season, the Bruins will have a plethora of options for the fourth line. This also does not include the players who could be pushing for a roster spot, such as Trevor Kuntar. This line has yet to play a game together, but each player brings something that could complement the line.
Beecher excels on faceoffs, which is a huge bonus for the Bruins. During the 2023-24 season, he finished second on the Bruins with a 54.6 Faceoff win percentage. He was the perfect fourth-line depth piece. Beecher plays with great speed and has the skill to make for a useful fourth line. Beecher also brings that physical punch to the lineup, as he finished with 112 hits. But he is not the only tough customer.
Kastelic joins the group as part of the return for goaltender Linus Ullmark. He is not going to blow you away with points, as he had ten points in 63 games. He is another physical body that is unafraid to stick up for his teammates. The Bruins added extra grit to the bottom of the lineup but got nastier to play against. Safe to say, Sweeney took a page out of the Florida Panthers playbook. Also, Kastelic is another faceoff specialist, finishing with a 54.4% success rate during the 2023-24 season.
Max Jones is another tremendous addition to the Bruins’s depth. He has shown he can be that extra layer of depth and chip in offensively. He had 15 points during the 2023-24 season, but he finished seventh among all Ducks skaters with nine expected goals. Jones plays with good speed and is a physical forward. Also, he finished with 17 takeaways, so he is responsible defensively. This fourth line is well-rounded and will be extremely tough to play against. That’s also not counting Justin Brazeau, who showed tremendous upside with the Bruins. Overall, this team has depth and is much better than last season.
Do Not Count These Bruins Out
This Bruins lineup is much different from last season. The team is much deeper, and each line is well-rounded. There are question marks regarding who will slot in on the second line, but there’s no question about a shortage of depth on the roster. Sweeney did a good job adding value in Lindholm, allowing other players to slot down to provide quality depth. It will be interesting to see how everything goes after training camp.
