Five questions facing the Bruins entering training camp

In terms of logistics alone, it's shaping up to be an interesting training camp for the Bruins.

Bruce Cassidy led half of the team on the plane the other day in preparation for the O.R.G. China Games on Sunday in Shenzhen and next Wednesday in Beijing against the Calgary Flames. The other half remains in the States for a six-game slate that begins Sunday afternoon against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals at TD Garden.

The players staying at home will open camp today with off-ice testing before skating for the first time the following day with assistant coach Joe Sacco leading the way.

Here are five of the key questions surrounding the team before camp begins:

1. How much better did the Bruins get this offseason?

While John Tavares landed with the Atlantic Division rival Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed Nikita Kucherov, the B's certainly did not make a splash by comparison. Defenseman John Moore and goaltender Jaroslav Halak signed as free agents, while forwards Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner were also acquired.

It will be interesting to see what the newcomers will present and the roles they will fill over the coming weeks, but Don Sweeney and the Boston brass were apparently comfortable with the personnel leading their lineup as these moves look to be for depth purposes from the outset. No big news can be good news, though it could take a little time during the regular season before we find out the answer to this question.

2. Who will be the next youngster to make his mark?

It's no secret that the contributions of Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Charlie McAvoy and others were vital to Boston's success from puck drop last season. It's likely that the opportunity for some other young guys to break camp with Boston will present itself in the near future, too.

For starters, Ryan Donato sure looked like someone whose future is in the NHL as he scored nine points over 12 games after leaving Harvard a year early. Anders Bjork also saw action in 30 NHL games before a shoulder injury cut his rookie season short.

Boston University product Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson was a consistent presence in the Providence lineup last year, and Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka were strong during shorter AHL stints. All three centers should get a chance to strut their stuff as members of the group playing in China.

3. How will the defense shake out?

Adam McQuaid was traded to the New York Rangers earlier in the week after having spent his entire 11-year playing career with Boston. His loss will hurt in the dressing room, but there are still options to explore below the outstanding pairing of Zdeno Chara and McAvoy that developed last season. Torey Krug is another sure thing after scoring a career-high 59 points last season, while Brandon Carlo is set for his third year with the B's.

Steven Kampfer was the known part of the McQuaid deal that also includes fourth-round and conditional seventh-round picks in 2019. He was a member of Boston's Stanley Cup-winning team in 2011 before being traded to Minnesota partway through the following season. The 29-year-old enters the blue line mix with those aforementioned, Kevan Miller, second-year pro Matt Grzelcyk, and Moore ― who signed a five-year deal with the B's after spending last season in New Jersey ― to name a few.

4. What will the top two lines look like?

Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak formed one of the top lines in hockey last year, even with Bergeron and Marchand each missing double-digit games due to injuries. Entering camp, it remains to be seen who will slide in to play on the wing with veteran David Krejci and DeBrusk, or if the top line will remain intact at all.

Danton Heinen was another rookie who proved himself during regular playing time as he finished fifth on the team with 47 points in 77 games. Don't be surprised if he gets an early shot with either of the top groups, as it's possible Pastrnak could slide down to team with Krejci to form a Czech duo and help balance out the scoring.

Krejci and Heinen are among those remaining in the U.S. for the preseason, so we could get a look at them together real soon.

5. How about the centers?

Riley Nash joined the Columbus Blue Jackets on a three-year deal after leading the B’s third line with great success en route to the second round of the postseason last year. His departure leaves the bottom six forwards in flux, especially down the middle.

Sean Kuraly and Noel Acciari are hard-working candidates for those spots. Kuraly’s solid play as a rookie was rewarded with a three-year contract. Wagner, the Walpole native, brings a veteran presence to the table after splitting last season between Anaheim and the New York Islanders. A rookie mentioned above could also emerge from the pack here.