It remains to be seen if/when the Bruins will announce the winner of the club’s 7th Player Award — doled out annually to the player who exceeded the expectations of fans during the course of the season.
It’s a regular tradition over the final weeks of the Bruins’ regular-season campaign — and one that’s often a grueling process when it comes to singling out just one player that went above and beyond to put Boston over the top.
Prior to the 2019-20 season coming to a halt due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins were well on their way to the Presidents’ Trophy — becoming the first NHL club to break the 100-point threshold. And while stars such as Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and others have been a key part in Boston’s sustained stretch of success this year, the Bruins’ next-man-up mentality has seen many contributors make their mark this season.
As we await hockey’s return, let’s take a look at my ranking of the most deserving candidates for the 2019-20 7th Player Award — in what looks to be a crowded field within the B’s locker room.
7. Jeremy Lauzon
With just 19 games under his belt this season, it would seem unlikely that Lauzon would garner much momentum when it comes to actually taking home the 7th Player Award, but he's certainly deserving of an honorable mention, of sorts. After all, the 22-year-old defenseman has arguably been Boston's most pleasant surprise this year, shoring up the vacancy on the B's third D pairing midway through the season.
Lauzon's brand of hockey may not necessarily be flashy, but his physical style of play has been a perfect complement to Matt Grzelcyk on Boston's D corps, and is one of the primary reasons why the rookie has remained in Boston's lineup since getting recalled back in January. While his baseline stats may not reveal all that much, Lauzon has excelled this season at neutralizing scoring chances.
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Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick, Sean Tierney and HockeyViz.