During his tenure as general manager (GM) of the Boston Bruins, it’s safe to say that Don Sweeney has his strengths and weaknesses. Some of his strengths have been signing players to team-friendly contracts and extending stars before they hit free agency like Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. Another strength has been making some moves at the trade deadline to add pieces like he did last season when he loaded up his roster for a deep playoff run, only to have it come to a stunning end in the first round against the Florida Panthers. You can’t blame Sweeney for that historic ending as he did all he could to ensure his team a lot of postseason success.
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One position of strength that has been the Bruins’ calling card has been at center with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci staples in the top six. Now, after 18 years, neither player will not be around when training camp begins in September. On July 25, Bergeron announced his retirement at 38 years old, and Krejci announced his on Monday (Aug. 14). Things certainly look bleak for the Black and Gold down the middle beginning this season. Of course, Sweeney can swing a trade to bring in a top center like Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames or Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets.
Whether or not another center is added, one thing that will not be hidden behind the two veteran centers is that Sweeney’s lack of drafting and developing centers will be now more evident with Bergeron and Krejci officially gone.
Bruins 2023-24 Center Options Post Bergeron and Krejci
It’s not a pretty depth chart currently down the middle. If the season began today, Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, Trent Frederic, and Patrick Brown are currently Jim Montgomery’s options. Gone from last season is Tomas Nosek, who signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils and now looks like a better option down at the bottom than some of the names above.
Other prospects that will have a say in training camp to break camp on the NHL roster are John Beecher, Georgii Merkulov, and Marc McLaughlin. It may very well take an injury or a trade for another of those names to begin the season at center in the bottom six or even find themselves in Boston at all in 2023-24.
Sweeney’s Draft Classes Lack NHL-Ready Centers
There are multiple positions in the NHL you need to be strong at to be successful and a contender and center is one of those positions. Bergeron and Krejci were both pre-Sweeney, but the GM and his staff have not been able to target future centers for depth.
That’s not to say that there are future options up the middle. Matthew Poitras is showing the most promise, but he’s still at least a couple of years away. He had a breakout season in 2022-23 with the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 79 assists. There is certainly a lot to like about the future with Poitras, but he’s not helping in 2023-24. Beecher might be the closest NHL-ready center from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). The former University of Michigan standout had nine goals and 14 assists in his first pro season last season and his two-way game improved as the season went along. The 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 Entry Draft is going to have to stand out in training camp to earn a roster spot.
McLaughlin played center at Boston College under former coach Jerry York, but he impressed on the wing in the NHL. He scored his first career goal in his first career game against the Devils in 2022, then filled in a couple of games as the fourth-line center when injuries felled the Black and Gold. His future in the NHL is more than likely on the wing instead of at center.
Bruins Injecting Youth Into 2023-24 Lineup, But Not at Center
The Bruins went into the offseason with the expectation of adding young players and prospects into the lineup for this upcoming season. It’s hard to see that happening with the moves they made in free agency, but one thing is for sure, if they do add young players, it won’t be centers. Sweeney’s lack of drafting and having future centers in the NHL be ready for when Bergeron and Krejci are gone is going to be exposed this season.
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Boston not planning to have their replacements ready from within the system has them in the spot that they’re in today. Good middle bottom-six centers, but no top-line centers, which could hold them back in 2023-24. Sweeney and his scouting department have had eight years to address this situation and have failed to do so.