The Boston Bruins have recently hit the halfway mark of the season. With 44 games under their belt and game number 45 against the Montreal Canadiens happening soon, the team has certainly once again surpassed expectations of many coming into the 2023-24 season. After a solid first half of the season, they’re currently first in the Atlantic Division with 63 points, five points ahead of the second-place Florida Panthers. They lead all teams in the Eastern Conference and currently trail only the Vancouver Canucks in overall points in the league.
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They have put together this great record despite not playing quite as dominantly as they did in the 2022-23 season, and facing much more challenges early on from the various injuries that have popped up throughout the roster and their struggles in recent weeks to win in extra time. Knowing how last season ended, I think many would agree it’s better to face some adversity now.
With the start of the back half of the Bruins’ schedule and the All-Star Break getting closer and closer on the horizon, it’s a good time to make a couple of predictions for how the next few months of the Bruins’ season will go.
Trent Frederic Surpasses 20-Goal Mark
2023 was a breakout year for Trent Frederic. He had an excellent second half of the 2022-23 season, resulting in him finishing with 17 goals and 31 points in 79 games, easily surpassing his previous career total in goals (12) and points (23). It earned him a new two-year contract and a higher set of expectations coming into the 2023-24 season.
So far, Frederic has completely lived up to expectations for this season, and is even surpassing them. He already has 13 goals and 23 points in 44 games and is on pace to finish the season with a new career high in points and goals. Things finally seem to be clicking on the ice for the 2016 first-round draft pick.
He’s currently on pace to hit 24 goals, giving him some wiggle room to reach that 20-goal mark for the first time. I think it’s a pretty reasonable prediction to have for him at this point. It’ll also be interesting to see if he’s able to surpass the 40-point mark this season as well.
Frederic has really been one of the guys to step up in the absence of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci this season. If he continues to play at this level, he’ll be looking at a nice contract when this current one ends after the 2024-25 season.
David Pastrnak is a Finalist for Hart Trophy (Again)
David Pastrnak is an instrumental part of the Bruins’ offense and an elite-level talent in the NHL. Last season, he was deservedly a Hart Trophy finalist, and he should be one again this season. He continues to be top five in the NHL in goals and points, and his importance to this team cannot be stated enough.
While he did not win last season (Connor McDavid certainly deserved that win), this season he may have more of a shot of winning it. While it is too early to tell, there is certainly no one completely running away with this award this season like McDavid did in 2022-23. Pastrnak has just as much of a shot as anyone in the league right now and it will certainly give that extra bit of excitement and intrigue to the next few months.
Bruins Trade a Current Roster Player at Deadline
Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney likes to be active at the trade deadline, and he usually gets pretty good deals. Last season, he was able to acquire Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov, and Tyler Bertuzzi, all of which were impactful in different ways during their short stints in Boston. In 2022, he acquired Hampus Lindholm and in 2021, he got Taylor Hall. His trade deadline deals usually include a combination of draft picks and roster players who aren’t necessarily performing to the best of their abilities and could use a change of scenery.
With the Bruins as contenders once again, it isn’t that outrageous to think that Sweeney will be looking for a similar type of deal again. I think Matt Grzelcyk is a name that could be thrown out there as an option considering he’s in the final year of his contract, though with the team’s struggles on defense, it may not be wise to trade one of their better blueliners. Ian Mitchell and Jesper Boqvist won’t have a ton of value and would probably have to be paired with a first-round pick, but they’re both still young players who seem to be struggling to find a spot in the depth chart.
Jake DeBrusk is also a name that could come into play at the trade deadline depending on how his extension talks are going. While I would personally love to see him continue to wear the black and gold and get extended, it has not been an easy season for him and he may want to test the free agency market at the end of the season. If the Bruins have any indication of that being the case, it may be better to trade him at the deadline.
Stanley Cup or Bust
Halfway through the season, it is legitimate to say that the Bruins are contenders for the Stanley Cup and should be aiming for a long playoff run this spring/summer. After the disappointment of last season, hopefully, this team can play with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. They need some redemption, and it is completely within reach.
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The Bruins have five more games before the All-Star Break. They next play the Canadiens on Jan. 20, and will then face the Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers. Make sure to check out The Hockey Writers for Bruins coverage throughout the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
