Analysis: Replacing Krejci just another challenge for coaching staff

David Krejci’s status has been downgraded to week-to-week rather than day-by-day, according to Bruce Cassidy and now the coach has the challenging task of finding a replacement for the second-line center position while the team continues to struggle early in the season.

Cassidy said Krejci has been ruled out for the next two home games against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at TD Garden. He will be re-evaluated on Sunday before the team travels to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Monday.

When the Bruins were without top-line center Patrice Bergeron to start the season due to a lower-body injury, Cassidy replaced Bergeron with Riley Nash because the centerman had similar aspects to his game.



Since Krejci suffered “spasms” in his back against the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday and missed Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Cassidy used Tim Schaller, Nash and David Backes as the second-line center. If Ryan Spooner (groin tear) were healthy he would probably be in that mix. It’s too much responsibility for Sean Kuraly to handle at this point. Schaller, who has been one of the team’s most consistent players so far this season, was serviceable in that spot last game, but struggled at times.

“At the end of the day (Krejci and Bergeron) are two players that play at the top of the lineup, and both play about 18 to 20 minutes a night, so it’s a similar task, or challenge, for the coaching staff to get somebody to go in there. We’ve looked at it almost by committee, using different guys,” Cassidy said.

Added Cassidy, “I wouldn’t even call it a game-by-game, it’s a period-by-period basis.”

Bergeron plays more of a shutdown role than Krejci does. Krejci’s line is used to playing against opponents’ second lines. Cassidy is looking for someone who can distribute the puck and Jake DeBrusk can fill that role.

Backes is a natural centerman but has played more wing during his time in Boston. When Cassidy took over as head coach last February, he had a discussion with the veteran forward and asked where he felt more comfortable. It came down to a situation where Cassidy wanted to put players in a position to succeed, but it didn’t matter to Backes.

“David, for the most part, wants a line that fits his character and how he likes to play game, how he sees the game being played effectively for him, whether that’s right wing or center,” Cassidy explained.

Backes’ game is straight line, pressing via forecheck and sustaining it, possessing the puck and wearing down the opposition physically in the offensive zone. It’s more abrasiveness than finesse. Now, out of necessity, Backes finds himself in the middle between David Pastrnak and DeBrusk.

“He’s with finesse (-type players),” Cassidy said with a smile. “How do you replace Krejci? We’ve tried different guys and that’s a bit of a challenge for the coaching staff. We’re trying to keep the top-of-the-lineup guys happy, and David (Backes) goes away from what best suits his style. That’s part of the challenge for him and for myself.”

If it doesn’t work, it’s not an easy solution to simply replace Backes with someone else. Fans would love to see prospect Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson given a chance in Krejci’s absence, but recalling him from the P-Bruins isn’t as easy due to other players’ one-way contracts, unless the Bruins decided to place Krejci on IR.

Losing Krejci for any amount of time also impacts the team’s second power-play unit. Before his recent injury, he was playing well with the two young speedsters on his wings. In fact, Krejci tweaked his offseason routine and worked on his speed and agility, knowing he would be playing with DeBrusk and Pastrnak.

Many wondered if Krejci, who had been injury-prone in the past, would be able to sustain a faster pace for 82 games, but it doesn’t bode well for the Bruins that he’s already injured and dealing with back issues only six games into the regular season.