4 things we learned from Bruins Media Day

With the 2019-20 NHL regular season just a day away, the Bruins held their annual Media Day at Warrior Ice Arena on Tuesday — with Bruce Cassidy, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, Jeremy Jacobs, Charlie Jacobs and multiple players meeting with the press in advance of another hockey campaign. 

Here are four takeaways from the day: 

1. Health is not going to be on Boston’s side out of camp

On the eve of the 2018-19 season, Don Sweeney lamented the fact that Boston would not be at full strength for its season opener against the Capitals — with Torey Krug expected to miss a couple weeks of action due to an ankle injury. 

While the 2019-20 Bruins does have a number of key cogs in place and ready to roll for Thursday’s season opener in Dallas, it’s going to be far from the full compliment of players — headlined by the uncertain status of David Krejci. 



Bruce Cassidy did note on Saturday that he expected the pivot would be good to go for Thursday after suffering a lower-body injury during preseason action back on September 23, but Krejci’s recovery timetable has been a rather drawn-out process. He did return to practice and skated with the main group on Tuesday morning, but donned a red, non-contact jersey and left the ice when Cassidy and his staff began more high-intensity battle drills. 

“I hope so, I would love to play, but I can't give you an answer right now,” Krejci said on if he’ll get the green light for Thursday. “I skated yesterday, skated today with the team a little. So obviously that means I feel better. So we’ll see.” 

Elsewhere, Kevan Miller and John Moore will begin the season on the shelf, as expected. Sweeney noted that there is no set timetable for Miller to return, but did add that the veteran defenseman is back on skates — a major step forward in his return from a pair of fractures to his kneecap. 

One surprise is the status of Joakim Nordstrom, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday evening while recovering from a foot fracture he suffered during the Stanley Cup Final. Boston has bottom-six options to plug in to any vacancies, headlined by Par Lindholm, but it’s been a tough stretch for Nordstrom, who was unable to take part in any preseason action. 

“Joakim Nordstrom is not going to start with us – an injury we’ve been looking at, been working his way back in. ... Next man up in those situations,” Sweeney said. “Bruce and the team’s done a really good job. Overall, I thought our game was really good. We executed in games; we had different lineups; we had a lot of opportunity for younger players to see what they would do. We certainly managed the minutes of the players that had gone deep in the playoffs with us, and that was by design. I think that if you look at the practices, we ask the guys to show up and work every day and do things they want to do and accomplish, and I think it was designed and set up that way, and I think it was executed that way.”

2. We could see a line with Krejci+Pastrnak: 

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might seem like Cassidy’s mindset when it comes to tinkering with Boston’s top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak — but the B’s bench boss isn’t taking a drastic shuffle off of the table. 

Even though the 63-37-88 line has remained intact for most of the preseason, Cassidy did note that there’s a good chance that Pastrnak will skate with his fellow countryman in Krejci at some point this season. 

Boston does have options in case Pastrnak gets an extended look on the second line. Danton Heinen excelled on the top line last February-March when Pastrnak was sidelined due to injury, while Anders Bjork has showed plenty of promise in years past when skating with 63+37. Perhaps this is the year he puts it all together after a strong showing in the preseason? 

Of course, a lineup switcheroo may not even be that drastic — but the case remains that Cassidy is not taking any option off the table if it allows Boston to put out the best roster and lineup possible on any given night. 

“Well, it depends what’s best for the team, right? How are we playing? We have a bunch that can do that, mix and match,” Cassidy said of playing Pastrnak with Krejci. “Pasta will play at times with Krech. It may not be on his line every night; it may be coming off a penalty; it might be if we double shift David, but he’ll definitely get some shifts with Krejci. How is (Karson) Kuhlman doing in that role if he starts there? If not, does a guy like (Brett) Ritchie come in? 

“We didn’t get those looks in training camp. David got hurt early on, unfortunately, so we’re going to have to do it on the fly. So, am I agreeing to it? No, but if it makes us better we will. Then we always go back to who goes up with Bergy and Marsh. You have to make sure the right people are in the right spots and it makes us better, not do it just to keep players happy. I think that was brought up a little bit. I think Krech has said it, and he’ll say it again: He believes he can drive a line no matter who is on it, and that’s what we’re asking he does. So, that’s what we’re going to ask of him. He’ll have Jake on his left; on his right is still to be determined.”

3. New contract negotiations are underway 

Sweeney and the Bruins 'front office did a masterful job of signing Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen to new contracts for a total ($10.55 million) that is less than what the Leafs are going to pay Mitch Marner for each of the next six seasons.

But they don't have much time to rest on their laurels — as another crop of free agents, both UFA and RFA, are set to sprout up during the summer of 2020.

While talks between Boston and a player willing to take a hometown discount in Torey Krug were nonexistent for most of the summer, the B's blueliner did admit on Tuesday that contract discussions have begun between both parties ahead of a pending UFA season.

"It’s exciting. Now that we’re in the regular season I don’t want to talk too much about it just out of respect for my teammates and the process," Krug said. "But it’s obviously exciting when you’re talking about where you could be for the future while taking care of the present obviously. That’s the most important thing. But it’s an exciting time and hopefully things work out.”

Krug is far from the only B's player in line for a raise in 2020, as Boston will have six other UFAs hitting the market in Charlie Coyle, Chris Wagner, Joakim Nordstrom, Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller and Jaroslav Halak. Notable RFAs also include Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork. 

While new deals for McAvoy, Carlo and Heinen give the Bruins over $26 million to work with next summer, it's still going to be a challenge when it comes to retaining the likes of Krug, Coyle and more while remaining flexible with the club's cap situation. Sweeney and his staff are already getting a head start on it, apparently.

https://twitter.com/bruinscapspace/status/1174073056253423618

"They’re all ongoing," Sweeney said of contract negotiations. "As I’ve been previously saying that you will not hear through us where those deals are at, and that’s really out of respect for every deal that you negotiate. I understand it makes your guys’ job that much harder, and you do a hell of a job predicting where those are all supposed to go. ... Those influences are not brought in to our discussions. We have discussions that need to take place, and the other side will hopefully respect that as well. We are in discussions with the players we’ve discussed, because they are a part of our group right now and a very important part of our group. And if things work out and we find that common ground, they probably will be for a long time."

4. Jacobs still in driver's seat

While the Boston Globe reported back in September that Jeremy Jacobs had passed over control of the Original Six club to his six children, Jacobs clarified a few things about his role within the organization on Tuesday. 

"It’s been magnified and maybe misrepresented," Jacobs said. "There was a trust made recently that put the Bruin asset into a beneficiary so when I croak, it will be the next generation. Nothing has changed as far as positions and authority and responsibility. I still will be in the same position. I think of the benefit though, it’s probably the only sports team in this town right now that can predictably say it will stay pretty much as is in the direction it’s going in the foreseeable and perhaps the next generation. That was my goal. My dad did the same thing for his kids, and it’s the same kind of thinking that I’m putting forward."

Charlie Jacobs added: "I do have two siblings that work out of our corporate headquarters in Buffalo. I spend a day a week in Buffalo and have for many years. I work Mondays out of there, and I come and start my work week here on Tuesdays. But as for a decision-making process, most of our decisions are collaborative, unless of course our chairman has a thought, and of course we do what he tells us to do."