The Boston Bruins are set to open preseason play Sunday night at TD Garden against the Washington Capitals, and second-year head coach Marco Sturm is expected to lean on a lineup full of uncertainty as he gets a first look at several young players.
With four preseason games on the schedule this week before final roster cuts, the guesswork has already begun. The biggest questions sit up front, where the Bruins’ center picture and a few roster battles could shape what the Opening Night group looks like against the New York Rangers on Sept. 29.
Forwards
JJ Perterka-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak
Morgan Geekie-Pavel Zacha-Casey Mittlestadt
Marat Khusnutdinov-Fraser Minten-James Hagens
Tanner Jennot-Sean Kuraly-Mark Kastelic
Extra: Matthew Poitras
The top six could still move around, but the current setup has Sturm leaving Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha and Fraser Minten in the same order they finished last season. Whether that alignment lasts all the way to Opening Night remains to be seen.
What has clearly caught Sturm’s attention early in camp is the “Kid Line” of Marat Khusnutdinov, Minten and James Hagens. The group clicked late last season, and it sounds like that chemistry has made an impression. The fourth line appears likely to stay together, while JJ Peterka should land somewhere in the top six - with the prediction here putting him on the first line.
Matthew Poitras is another name to watch. He signed his contract just five days ago and would need waivers if Boston chose to send him to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League.
On defense, the Bruins are dealing with a major early absence. Charlie McAvoy is suspended for the first six games after his slash on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson at the end of Game 6 of last spring’s playoff series. That leaves a significant hole on the blue line.
Assuming everyone stays healthy, the only real question on defense is the third pair. In this projection, Jonathan Aspirot and Connor Clifton get the nod. Frederic Brunet is another player to monitor, especially since he, like Poitras, would require waivers to reach the AHL.
In goal, there doesn’t appear to be much suspense. Barring injury, the two netminders are already pretty easy to identify.
In Other News...
Bruins Camp Opens With One Absence And A Heartbreaking Loss
The Bruins have opened camp with the usual early fall rhythm of sessions, scrimmages and line combinations that stay largely intact from one day to the next. There is, however, one personnel change already on the board: Billy Sweezey is dealing with an upper-body injury, which has created an opening for Dylan Mackinnon to join the camp roster as Boston starts sorting through its depth and conditioning work before the preseason games begin.
The bigger news, though, has nothing to do with a lineup card. The organization is mourning the death of Alex Gimenez, who had just been hired in July as the teams director of hockey operations for the collective bargaining agreement, a loss that has cast a shadow over the first days of camp. Around the league, there have been other notable storylines involving familiar names, but for the Bruins, this week has been defined first by that absence off the ice and the reminder that some things matter far beyond the competition for roster spots. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Prospect Dan Locmelis Is Already Facing A Tough Camp Reality
Bostons training camp has barely had time to breathe, and that makes every day of evaluation feel a little sharper for the Bruins. With a shortened preseason and a quick turn to the regular season opener, the club is already sorting through the bottom of the roster, where young players have less margin for error and fewer exhibition games to make an impression.
For Dan Locmelis, that reality is setting in fast. The prospect is in the mix, but the Bruins have roster flexibility with him that they do not have with some others, and that could shape where he starts the season if the club decides he is better served in Providence. For now, Boston is still working through those decisions as the preseason moves along, and Locmelis is one of the names most affected by how little time there is to sort it all out. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Nearly Made A Huge Blue-Line Splash Fans Never Saw Coming
The Bruins spent part of the summer looking for ways to add to their blue line, and one of the names that surfaced was Filip Hronek of the Canucks. Bostons interest was enough to become public in a roundabout way, which only added to the sense that the club had at least kicked the tires on a meaningful move while trying to strengthen a defense group that has been under the microscope.
What makes the Hronek pursuit stand out is how close it appears Boston came to trying something significant, even if nothing materialized. Vancouver, for its part, is not looking to move him and still views him as part of its long-term core, which leaves the Bruins back in the market for help on defense and a reminder that not every aggressive inquiry turns into a transaction. [Read more 🡒]