A shift to the right for Anders Bjork could open up a wealth of possibilities for Bruins lineup

Since getting called back up from Providence on Oct. 22, Anders Bjork has been penciled into a slew of line combinations that Bruce Cassidy has cooked up in Boston’s forward corps. 

Often, the 23-year-old winger has found himself skating with Charlie Coyle — with the duo logging 122:04 of 5v5 ice time together. But Coyle is far from the only pivot that Bjork has earned extended reps with.

Sean Kuraly? 84:55 of 5v5 TOI with Bjork. 
Par Lindholm? 34:37 5v5 TOI.
Even David Krejci has logged 30:12 of 5v5 ice time next to Bjork, especially during Jake DeBrusk’s absence due to a lower-body injury. 

Now in his third go-around up in the NHL ranks, Bjork has served as one of Cassidy’s most versatile tools up front — with the Notre Dame product able to both complement a skilled forward combination while also gaining experience in the bottom six, where his speed has made him a valuable asset on the forecheck. 

But for as much as Bjork has leapfrogged up and down Boston’s lineup, his position hasn’t shifted all that much. 

Initially brought up to the NHL ranks in 2017-18, Bjork started his rookie campaign at right wing, complementing a position group that, aside from David Pastrnak, has largely been barren for Boston when it comes to offensive production. 

But this season, with Bjork looking to find some traction up in the pro ranks, Cassidy has opted to keep the forward at his natural spot at left wing — hoping that the added comfort level would allow Bjork to focus more on the strengths of his game and avoid putting himself in harm’s way.

"We'd like him to go in on the left side where he's been playing, where he played in camp,” Cassidy said of Bjork back in October. “Ideally, to bring him up and then put him in a position to not succeed is not something we would want to do in a perfect world."

So far, the results have been there for Bjork. So much so, that Cassidy might be willing to lift some restrictions for the promising winger — and open up a number of intriguing options for the Bruins’ forward corps.



While Bjork has remained entrenched at LW this season, the crafty skater has often found himself operating all over the ice, especially with the puck on his stick during rushes or in the O-zone. 

Through 21 games now, Bjork is now up to four goals and seven total points, while averaging 13:19 of ice time per game — a solid bump from the 11:48 of ATOI he logged last season.

In Bjork’s 253:58 of 5v5 TOI this season, Boston has managed to outscore the competition, 11-8, while only relinquishing two high-danger goals during that stretch. Among Bruins regulars (Minimum of 50 minutes of 5v5 TOI), Bjork paces the rest of the roster when it comes to 5v5 high-danger shots against per 60 minutes of play — posting a rate of just 5.91. 

“Yeah, he definitely wins more battles," Chris Wagner said of the progression of Bjork’s 200-foot game. “He’s more defensively responsible. Kinda have to be if me and Sean and him are getting matched against a top line … (He’s got) a lot of skill, a lot of speed. He can make plays 1-on-1. I think he had the puck for like 20 seconds, during that last shift he had in the Carolina game. He can obviously finish too. He’s been pretty good since he got back up here.”

Given the strides in Bjork’s game, Cassidy noted on Thursday morning that he wouldn’t completely rule out switching the winger over to the right side, if such an opportunity was in the best interest of the club.

“He’s found himself over there,” Cassidy said of Bjork skating on the right. “He’s a player that likes to move and be creative, so he’s going to find himself over there, even if we start him on the left. That’s fine as long as he’s in and out of the danger areas. I think he’s done a real good job of that.

“Recognizing who’s playing man to man, who’s playing a little more, maybe in layers … I think he’s just learning the game, this year, a little bit more than maybe in the past. More of a student of the game, maybe more confident. Only he can tell you why it’s clicking a little bit better now.”

Boston’s lineup might be incomplete in its current state, given Patrice Bergeron’s absence due to a nagging lower-body injury. But once No. 37 is back in the fold, Bjork’s flexibility when it comes to moving to the right could allow the Bruins to once again find some equilibrium when it comes to their scoring output. 

Cassidy has been hesitant to break up the 63-37-88 line when all three are accounted for, but if Bjork stands as a viable RW option, could it prompt the B’s bench boss to give Pastrnak an extended look on the second line with Krejci?

The reasoning is certainly there. So far this season, the Bruins have outscored the competition, 9-2, in the 128:54 of 5v5 TOI that Pastrnak and Krejci have skated together, while Coyle might still be best suited to a role as the B’s third line center.

Even without Pastrnak on the top line, there stands a pretty good chance that both 37 + 63 will be able to drive a line with whoever is to their right. 

The last time Bjork earned an extended look with those two forwards, he was a 21-year-old rookie — with a 63-37-10 combination holding a 59.46 CF%, plus-3 goal differential, plus-6 shot differential and generating a 4.18 goals for per 60 minutes rate in 57 minutes of 5v5 TOI together.

And, of course, we have to include this whenever it comes to Bergeron + Brad Marchand’s ability to dominate with just about anyone skating at RW:



There is no easy answer when it comes to where a player like Bjork might be best utilized. Perhaps it’s on that top line, or even to the right of Krejci and DeBrusk — giving Boston’s second-line center a pair of speedy wings to work with. Maybe keeping a third line of Bjork, Coyle and Danton Heinen intact is the best bet. 

Regardless of where the best fit is, Cassidy’s willingness to give Bjork reps at RW can only be a positive for this club as it looks to put the right pieces together up front. 

“Some of it is just experience in the league,” Cassidy said of Bjork. “He’s figured out what’s available … We’ve all worked with him to understand when he has to get rid of the puck and when he can hang on to it. So some maturity there as well. But mostly, I think he’s becoming a better player and more confident guy and figured some things out. And that’s perfectly normal with most guys his age. So good for him. I would not hesitate now to move him back there if we really felt like it would make us better in our lineup. 

“We didn’t want to do that right away. I’m seeing good steps…. Could he find himself on the right shortly if that situation presents itself? Again, I’m not as reticent as I was maybe six weeks ago.”