With just three home games remaining for the remainder of the 2018-19 regular season, it’s time to take stock in a few of the Bruins’ end-of-the-year awards, namely the 7th Player Award — doled out annually to the player who exceeded the expectations of fans during the course of the season.
While the Bruins have thrived this season and reeled off an 19-game point streak thanks in large part to stars such as Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, David Pastrnak and others — this club’s next-man-up mentality has seen many contributors answer the call when necessary, leading to some interesting discussions when it comes to picking just one role player among a bunch of worthy candidates.
Let’s take a look at a few of the top candidates for the 2018-19 7th Player Award in what looks to be a crowded field within the B’s locker room.
6. David Krejci
Alright, this is more of an honorable mention than anything, because an established star like Krejci shouldn’t really be in the running for an accolade like the 7th Player Award.
However, let’s take a look at the past winners of the 7th Player Award over the last decade: Krejci (2008-09), Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, Reilly Smith, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
Other than Smith, who tallied 51 points in his first season with Boston after standing as an extra piece in the Seguin-Dallas trade, all the previous winners have been either franchise cornerstones or blue-chip prospects in the midst of strong rookie seasons. Not exactly a crew of tenacious overachievers.
Still, when we take a long look at what has allowed this Bruins team to enjoy this run of success this season — you have to put a guy like Krejci near the top.
Often maligned for either being, a) picky with his linemates, or b) often injured, Krejci has responded with one of his best seasons in years. The lone Bruin to play in every game so far this season, Krejci is now up to 18 goals and 59 total points, currently playing at a pace that could have him notch his first 70-point season since the 2008-09 campaign.
It’s been a remarkable season for Krejci — one made even more impressive given the fact that he’s had a revolving door on his wing for pretty much the entire year. Thirteen different wingers have skated on a line with Krejci so far in 2018-19, with very few gaining significant traction. And yet, while skating on lines with players like Karson Kuhlman and Lee Stempniak over the last two games, he’s still scored twice and posted eight 5v5 scoring chances. Absurd stuff.
“Every conversation this year has been, ‘Listen, when I’m on. Put whoever you want there. It’s my responsibility to drive the line,’ and he’s accepted and acknowledged that,” Bruce Cassidy said of Krejci. “We appreciate that. … Unfortunately, he doesn’t’ have the veteran help that maybe some of the other lines do, but that’s the way it’s worked out and he’s done a terrific job with it.”
5. Sean Kuraly
You really can’t go wrong with any player on what has been one of the top fourth lines in the NHL, and Kuraly has certainly answered the call in his second full season up in the NHL.
As a group, the Kuraly-Acciari-Wagner trio has served as much more than just an energy line for Cassidy and his staff, often rolled out to start a contest while primarily matched up against a top-six group down the other end of the ice.
In 381:40 of 5v5 TOI this season, that line has compiled a plus-28 edge in shot attempts, plus-42 shot differential and a plus-40 differential in scoring chances generated, a pretty remarkable feat given the fact that that line is usually dealing with some stout competition and only take 32.16 percent of their faceoffs in the offensive zone.
A speedy center/winger in Kuraly that’s hard to knock off the puck has played a key role in that line’s success, with the 26-year-old skater often setting the tempo by winning puck battles on the forecheck while averaging 1:19 of PK TOI per game.
On pace for a career-high 21 points, Kuraly also seems to step up in crunch time, with his OT winner against the Sabres back on Dec. 29 potentially standing a turning point this year.
Since that comeback win over Buffalo, Boston has reeled off a 21-3-5 run. Yikes.
4. Brandon Carlo
After logging close to 1,041 minutes of 5v5 TOI with
Zdeno Chara
as a rookie, Carlo saw his numbers dip a bit during the following campaign — with his scoring dropping from 16 to just six points all season, while eventually knocked with his first career scratch in late February 2018 after posting a minus-5 rating over the span of four games.
Even when reunited with Chara, that pairing failed to rekindle the magic they developed a year prior, with the duo posting a minus-3 goal differential during 289 minutes of 5v5 play together.
This year, Carlo has really rounded into form as a stalwart on the blue line — averaging 20:49 TOI (fourth on team) while also ranking second with 2:48 shorthanded TOI on a PK unit that has risen up to ninth overall in the league with an 81.5 percent kill rate.
Even if he’s only on pace for nine points, Carlo also looks noticeably more comfortable when tasked with leading a rush or handling the puck in the offensive zone — with the D-man already with a career-high 94 SOG, including 19 in his last four (!) games.
“In the past, there might a seam available where he does have to make a saucer pass. In the past, he would just go shake that off and just go with the safe, easy play,” Torey Krug said of his defensive partner. “Now he’s starting to try those things and he’s starting to see that those plays can be made.
“When he takes a puck and takes the initiative, he’s so assertive. It’s been great to watch him develop in that way. Defensively, he shuts down more cycles than I think anyone that we have, so he’s a great player in that regard and he’s bringing it every night.”
After not having Carlo in the fold over the last two trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 6-foot-5 defenseman (who is still just 22 years old) is shaping up to be a major advantage in what will likely be matchups against high-powered offenses in Toronto and Tampa Bay.
3. Chris Wagner
During the free-agency period this past summer, the Bruins were largely lambasted for letting
Tim Schaller
depart, with the fourth-liner cashing in on a two-year, $3.8-million contract ($1.9 million AAV) with the Canucks after tallying 12 goals and 22 points with the Bruins.
Boston stayed local with Schaller’s replacement, signing Wagner to a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $1.25 million. How has the Walpole native been in his first campaign?
Well, he earned reps on the team’s top line with
Patrice Bergeron
and
Brad Marchand
during Boston’s 3-2 win over the Senators on Saturday, and it was totally warranted. That should say enough.
“The way he’s dancing out there right now, it’s a lot of fun to watch,” Marchand said of Wagner. “I mean, he’s playing very good hockey right now. He’s hard on the puck, he gets to the net, he’s making good plays, he’s dangling everybody. You know, their line right now is 1A, we’re 1B, so he got demoted tonight.”
A physical winger that landed 253 hits last season with both the Ducks and the Islanders, Wagner has maintained his hard-hitting ways with the B's — clocking in with 218 hits through 65 games played this season while averaging 1:26 TOI on the PK.
A key cog on the fourth line, where Wagner has really exceed expectations is on the scoresheet, with the 27-year-old winger already up to a career-high 11 goals and 17 points this season. In particular, Wagner has been immense during this point streak — tallying five goals in the 12 games that Boston has not had Pastrnak
in the lineup.
A tenacious forward that’s never afraid to swoop in on the forecheck and drive to the net, Wagner is already becoming a fan favorite back home in Boston — and the team is getting rewarded with his efforts. What a fantastic signing.
2. Matt Grzelcyk
Hopefully, Grzelcyk’s stock isn’t too inflated after his game-tying goal in Thursday’s absurd comeback win over the Panthers, because the Charlestown native has been ridiculously good all season for Boston.
His stats may not particularly jump out, although they are pretty solid for a defenseman (two goals, 16 points, 19:21 TOI), but Grzelcyk’s true value tends to come from stats not often etched on the scoresheet — whether it be jumpstarting the breakout, using his stick to defend the blue line or simply making the right pass in the neutral zone.
His highlight reel may not be extensive, but Grzelcyk is rarely caught out of possession or knocked for making a poor decision, even when handling the puck in danger areas like the low slot and behind Boston’s net.
It’s usually been pretty hard to size up the skill of an NHLer when it comes to their proficiency in both assisting a team’s transition game while preventing opposing entries down the other end of the ice.
But with new metrics like
breakup percentage (Dividing the number of times a skater dispossesses an offensive player of the puck by the number of times said defender targets an offensive skater) and possession exits (which is counted as when a defender either carries the puck out of the zone or completes a successful pass out of the zone) now available, we can really take stock in how good Grzelcyk is at controlling the blue line. I mean,
The only defenseman in the league with a
possession exit percentage over 46 and a break-up percentage over 20, Grzelcyk’s metrics are off the charts — and higher than franchise cornerstones such as
Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh
and others.
He may not get too much fanfare, but you can’t overlook the impact that Grzelcyk has had on this D corps in just his second full year in the NHL.
“I think he can be down, but he’s never out of a play, just because of his skating ability,” Krug said of Grzelcyk. “His ability to recover is pretty remarkable. He doesn’t have the length that maybe Zdeno has, but he makes up for that. Down but never out is something that I see in him.
“He can read plays with the best of them. He’s a great player. The addition of him on the backend has allowed for cleaner breakouts with other lines than in the past, where it’s kind of been a one-horse thing, so to have him back there has been great.”
1.
Jaroslav Halak
Both Jaroslav Halak and Brandon Carlo are top candidates for the 7th Player Award. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
Even when adding in a stretch that saw him go 5-7-1 with an .894 save percentage from Nov. 26 - Jan. 29, I still think Halak has been the unsung hero for this Bruins team, with the backup netminder keeping Boston afloat in the early going while potentially setting his team up for a deep postseason run.
With
Tuukka Rask
struggling out of the gate this season (4-4-0 record, .901 save percentage) before eventually taking a brief leave of absence, Halak — another great free-agent pickup this summer — was fantastic, opening the year with an 8-2-2 record and a .939 save percentage over his first 14 outings.
Halak’s great play earlier this year not only kept Boston in the fight in what has been a cutthroat Atlantic Division, but his workload is also setting Boston up for future success down the road.
Rask is also on a roll as of late, with his last loss in regulation coming all the way back on Dec. 23. And with Halak significantly cutting into his once heavy usage, Rask is now on pace to make
just 45 starts this season — his lightest amount since the 2012-13 season, in which he made 34 starts in the lockout-shortened campaign.
If Boston is going to make some noise in the postseason, it’s going to need a rested Rask and a backup in Halak operating at a high level. The play of Halak has given the Bruins that luxury.
What about the shootout?
The NHL GM Meetings wrapped up last week down in Boca Raton, Fla. and, as a whole, there weren’t too many major discussions on the docket. While a few adjustments are likely on the way for the 2019-20 season, it’s nothing too earth-shattering.
The changes? If a player’s helmet is dislodged during game action, he will be required to leave the ice immediately. During the power play, the team on the man advantage will be allowed to decide what side of the ice to take a face-off on in the offensive zone — while clocks will also be inserted into the end boards.
That’s about it. No frank discussions about the wonky offsides review structure currently in place, or the league’s current playoff format, which, if the season ended today, would have two of the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Lightning out of contention by the end of the second round.
It likely would have been placed on the backburner regardless, but what about shootouts in today’s NHL? The format was adopted during the 2005-06 season to give some finality to games — but the reception has been largely mixed. Rolling out 3-on-3 overtime has curtailed the number of games that have moved on to a shootout, but is there anything else that could be done?
“I’m ok with it,” Cassidy said of the current format. “I think the fans enjoy it. As a coach, I don’t love it. It’s hit or miss a lot of days for us. I don’t know if teams or a GM factors in his roster with just a shootout guy, because I think it’s so minimal. But at the end of the year, if you lose two of them and you’re two points out of the playoffs, then you think twice about it. We’re not in that position right now, so that’s why it doesn’t affect me that much. I find that we’re okay with or without it. No strong opinion, I guess.
“But if the fans like it, we’re still in the entertainment business, let’s keep it. At least somebody wins that way. Is the option just having a tie or extending overtime. What are the options? It’s nice that someone wins and loses at the end of the night, so how do you get to that? A longer overtime? … Is that a better way to solve it, because it wouldn’t take that long, you hope. So I don’t know what the ideas are there, to be honest with you, I don’t know. … Obviously, you want to be careful with how you extend games with the schedule the way it is. It’s just tough.”
Twitter Warfare Underway
They’re usually torching opposing defenses out on the ice, but off of it, Brad Marchand and
Torey
Krug
are usually more prone to lighting each other up by way of social media.
What has been a season-long beef between both 5-foot-9 skaters when it comes to their less-than-imposing stature out on the ice has really come to a head over the last week, with both Marchand and Krug sending out some impressive chirps at one another by way of Instagram and Twitter.
It all started back in September 2014 by Marchand, while Krug countered back this past August:
Add in a few jokes regarding an
,
and
, and things really started to get out of hand.
So what does a hockey purist like Cassidy make out of all of this social-media chirping?
“Between teammates, I think it’s great ... if they’re joking," Cassidy said. "I read something about Wagner. I think he got something
So he’s kind of bailing himself out today. I read something about that. I think he’s the biggest Celtics fan in the room, so I wouldn’t take that too seriously. Could the league use more of that? I don’t know, that’s a good question. You guys cover the league... Listen, I’m a hockey purist, you know that. Old school meets a guy dealing with the younger guy. Me, I love the league the way it is.”
If you don’t follow Marchand on Twitter yet, you’re missing out — with the winger also having some fun at the Maple Leafs expense last week. Commenting on the play of Toronto winger (and pending restricted free agent)
Mitch Marner,
Marchand offered his own appraisal as for how much Marner could net on the market — which is what the cap-crunched Leafs don’t want to hear.
“Marchy tweeting the other day, our conversations last year was like, ‘As long as you don’t get suspended,'" Cassidy said. "He didn’t for the licking, but I had to have another talk with him. This one is fine. I think he’s just busting Marner’s chops and listen, we have a lot of respect for that kid, he played very hard against us last year in the playoffs. Played hard against us this year. I think Marchy meant most of it."
