• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Boston Bruins

3 Bruins Who Deserve 7th Player Award

By Scott Roche April 3rd, 2020

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

The end of the National Hockey League regular season was scheduled to be this weekend on April 4. The two-plus month grind to a Stanley Cup championship for 16 teams was about to begin before the league put the season on pause on March 12 amid the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.

Some teams give out season-ending awards that are voted on by fans. One award that the Boston Bruins hand out is the 7th Player Award, given to the player who performed above expectations for the season that is voted on by the fans. The past three winners have been David Pastrnak (2016-17), Charlie McAvoy (2017-18) and Chris Wagner (2018-19).

Related: Derek ‘Turk’ Sanderson – A Boston Legend

There are several possible winners for this year’s award, but below are three players that are deserving of the award. Each has played a role in the Bruins sitting on top of the NHL standings and in position to win the Presidents’ Trophy should the season start up again.

3. Jaroslav Halak

This is an out of the box candidate, but looking deeper into the season he has had, Jaroslav Halak should get some consideration as the backup goalie. Backing up a Venezia Trophy candidate and All-Star in Tuukka Rask, Halak is near the top of the league in some of his stats despite being a backup.

Jaroslav Halak Boston Bruins
Jaroslav Halak, Boston Bruins (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

A free agent at the end of the season, Halak has an 18-6-6 record in 29 games started and 31 overall appearances this season. He is sixth in the league with a 2.39 goals-against average (GAA) and sports a .919 save percentage (SV%). He has three shutouts and allowed just 73 goals on 905 shots.

His biggest stretch of the season came in January after Rask was sidelined with a concussion in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Halak won two of his last three starts before the All-Star break following the injury. His last loss came Jan. 19 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and he had won seven in a row until the NHL pause.

With Rask being injured and out for three weeks, he had been working back in slowly by coach Bruce Cassidy since the All-Star before the season pause because of Halak’s hot play. Without his stint as a backup, there’s a very slim chance that the Bruins hold off the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

2. Matt Grzelcyk

In his third full season in a Bruins uniform, Matt Grzelcyk has had his best season of the three in Boston. He has played in 68 of the 70 games this season, which is a career-high for the 26-year-old defenseman.

Matt Grzelcyk - Bruins
Matt Grzelcyk, Boston Bruins, September 17, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Bouncing back and forth between the second and third defensive pairings this season because of injuries, he has been a consistent presence on the ice with a plus-15 rating. He has 4 goals and 17 assists for 21 points, which are all career highs. He has spent time as well on the Bruins second power-play unit and has one goal and six assists with the man advantage.

Related: 3 Bruins Thoughts During the League Pause

Despite being undersized at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, Grzelcyk has had a season that deserves recognition no matter how it ends.

1. Charlie Coyle

Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline in 2019, Coyle has been a jack of all trades for the Bruins this season. He has floated between a second-line right wing and a third-line center, with his best fit for the team coming as a center on the third line.

Charlie Coyle Boston Bruins
Charlie Coyle, Boston Bruins (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Coyle has played in all 70 games this season with 16 goals and 21 assists, but the Weymouth, Massachusetts native has been a part of the Bruins special teams units. He has been a part of the league’s second-ranked power play and kills penalties. He has two shorthanded goals, one power-play goal and three of his 16 goals have been game-winning goals.

There are other candidates that could be in line for this award this season, but these three players come to mind when you look at the second tier of players that have helped the Bruins settle into the top spot in the league.

  • Tags
  • 7th Player Award
  • Charlie Coyle
  • Jaroslav Halak
  • Matt Grzelcyk
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 21st 5:55 PM
Edmonton Oilers

McDavid Has the Maple Leafs’ Number and Needs to Keep it That Way

Jan 21st 5:08 PM
Archives

NHLers by Country: On Top of Their Game and the World

Jan 21st 4:50 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Missing Klefbom and Neal on Power Play

Jan 21st 4:40 PM
Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Soucy & Sturm Look Comfortable Filling Roster Gaps

Jan 21st 4:30 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche With Career Milestones in Sight in 2020-21 Season

Jan 21st 3:45 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning & Pat Maroon Are a Really Good Fit…For Now

Jan 21st 3:35 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Depth Separates Them From the Rest

Jan 21st 3:15 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Alexandre Texier, New Faces Shine to Begin Season

Jan 21st 2:45 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers News & Rumors: Neal, Yamamoto, Tippett, More

Jan 21st 2:15 PM
Column

Senators News & Rumours: Stützle, Norris, Galchenyuk and More

Editor’s Picks
NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

The 1979 NHL – WHA Merger

The 1979 NHL – WHA Merger

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information