Happy holidays to all of our loyal readers here at BSJ!
With the most wonderful time of the year in full swing — and a lack of tangible B’s news given the COVID-fueled shutdown — we thought we’d get into the spirit of Christmas and roll through what we think the Bruins should put on their list for Santa.
Here’s a glimpse at a few things that the Bruins should be looking for underneath the tree this weekend.
Tuukka Rask
Let’s just get this one out of the way first.
Yes, we’re just a little over 100 words into this piece, and I’m sure some B’s fans are feeling like I’m leading off this gift-giving bonanza with a hefty lump of coal.
(Or maybe just tube socks).
For that skeptical lot among Bruins fandom that is bemoaning what seems like Rask’s inevitable return to Boston’s net — some of the criticism lies in the fact that Boston’s current goaltending rotation hasn’t been the primary flaw on this roster.
Others just want to turn the page and usher in the new era with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark leading the charge.
And others are about as understated and subtle about their disdain of Rask and his (still really, really great) resume as a brick to the face courtesy of Macaulay Culkin.
And yet, for as much as that vocal minority would lead you to think that the Bruins room would suddenly devolve into Pottersville if Rask is added back into the equation — one has to think that Rask’s return (on a cheap, pro-rated deal) can only help a Bruins team that is going to be playing in a whole lot of one-goal contests until this secondary scoring breaks through.
IF Rask is healthy and capable of playing at a high level, it sure seems like a no-brainer to bring him back — even if that return might necessitate Swayman earning a stint down in Providence.
Yes, Swayman is a fantastic young talent and should be a key building block for the future — but it’s also rather evident that the 22-year-old goalie could use a bit more seasoning if the opportunity was there, especially when it comes to rebound control.
Even with the number of strong outings he’s had in net over the past year and a half, Swayman has also labored a bit when battling against the cream of the crop in the NHL. Even with a sterling 42-save shutout against the now-surging Predators, Swayman has been rather pedestrian against teams currently in the playoff picture — going 2-4-1 in those matchups with a .906 save percentage.
With Ullmark suddenly coming on strong (.922 save percentage), a tandem of him and Rask could be awfully effective if the latter isn’t showing any rust — with Swayman given ample time to develop further in the AHL.
And — all things considered — the notion of Boston just saying “screw it” and rolling with a three-man rotation isn’t all that outlandish, not with the Bruins subjected to a schedule that is currently set to see them play 56 games over the span of 104 days.
Given that workload, the Bruins are going to need all of the help they can get in net.
Add in the fact that the alternative to willingly turning down Rask on a low-risk, high-reward deal for pennies on the dollar is the entirely predictive scenario in which he joins one of the MANY contenders in need of goalie help (Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, Washington) — and Rask donning that black-and-gold sweater seems like an easy call at this point.
Save your grievances, folks. Festivus does only come around once a year.
David Krejci
For Bruins fans, the sight of David Krejci continuing to dominate over in the Czech Republic is a bit like watching those holiday ads in which some fella wakes up on Christmas morning to a new Benz in his driveway — red bow and all.
Could you use a new Mercedes? Sure wouldn’t hurt!
Would you like a new Mercedes? … I mean.
But … is it realistic to expect a Benz to arrive at your door at Dec. 25? Hellllllll no.
(Seriously, please comment if you’ve met ANYONE that has been gifted a brand-new car on Christmas morning, because I’m 0-for-5,000 at this point in terms of finding such a lucky soul).
The situation with Krejci is awfully similar.
Would the Bruins love to have another opportunity to sic the Hall-Krejci-Smith line on the rest of the league? Mhmmm.
But is it realistic to expect Krejci to barge in and save Boston from this uneven malaise that it has found itself in for most of the year? Sure doesn’t seem like it — especially with the veteran now needing to pass through waivers in order to return at some point during this 2021-22 NHL campaign.
What could have been.
Alright … another top-six center, then
Still, even if Krejci sure seems like an unrealistic target at this point, that shouldn’t deter the Bruins from looking elsewhere for more help down the middle — not only for this season, but in the coming years as well.
Even though Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun has drawn plenty of buzz given his reported availability, age (23), talent and fantastic contract ($4.6 million cap hit through 2025)—you’re not going to pry him from the ‘Yotes unless you’re willing to add multiple draft selections and likely one of Fabian Lysell/Mason Lohrei to a bigger package, likely starting with Jake DeBrusk.
And even with that sizable ask, it still may not be enough — especially when it comes to outbidding other teams with far more draft capital and a much deeper pipeline of young talent.
No, instead of improving a D corps that, all things considered, is still allowing a league-low 1.98 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5v5 action, the Bruins should continue to target top-six talent at the pivot spot if they really want to swing for the fences.
Be it marquee names like Tomas Hertl (likely a lower asking price as a potential rental) and J.T. Miller (might need to wait for Vancouver to come off the high of the Bruce Boudreau experience) or even a riskier pickup like Sean Monahan, the Bruins desperately need new blood at center — not only in order to give Boston another legit top-six weapon, but to start the domino effect down the rest of the depth chart that could lead to a steadier offensive output.
Even though his chemistry with both Taylor Hall and Craig Smith has left a bit to be desired, Charlie Coyle’s individual play and his tangible production (seven goals, 14 points) should not be conduits of criticism this season.
But when it comes to maximizing the potential of this current roster, it’s rather obvious that Coyle could do even more damage if he was pushed down to 3C — where he could help drive play next to some rather stagnant players such as Erik Haula or Nick Foligno.
Not only would acquiring a Hertl/Miller give Coyle easier matchups and suddenly set the foundation for an effective third line (which turned out to be pretty useful in 2019) — but adding another skilled playmaker into the mix might also be the key to getting fellow top-six weapons going like Hall.
We saw firsthand just how lethal Hall could be last year when he was slotted next to an O-zone maestro like Krejci — with that juggernaut of a second line outscoring opponents, 13-1, in just 180:19 of 5v5 ice time.
As currently constituted, the Bruins have a solid 2C in Coyle who is punching a bit above his weight class (thanks to a career-best 14.0 shooting percentage) and a bottom-six unit without much structure. Add another 2C into the mix, and suddenly a B’s forward group hampered by square pegs jammed in round holes might suddenly start gaining some traction.
New sticks for David Pastrnak
It’s a testament to David Pastrnak’s own individual talent and the high expectations placed upon him that his current stat line (21 points in 26 games) has been labeled as pedestrian.
Of course, Pastrnak’s effectiveness is usually measured on just how often the 25-year-old sniper finds twine — an outcome that we often take for granted given his propensity to light the lamp.
But so far this year, be it of his own devices or just plain poor puck luck, Pastrnak’s goal-scoring totals have dipped so far in 2021-22 with eight tallies over 26 games played. At this current rate, Pastrnak is on pace to post 25 goals and 66 points over an 82-game stretch.
Boston’s offensive woes don’t fall solely on Pastrnak — nor is it entirely fair on Pastrnak that he needs to pot 45+ goals a season in order to give this B’s roster any semblance of scoring punch — but such is the need given the lack of other O-zone contributions elsewhere on the roster.
One has to assume that Pastrnak’s misfortunes in terms of failing to cash in on his chances should revert back up to the mean at some point — with his 7.0% shooting percentage (including a minuscule 3.9% at 5v5 play) well below his career average of 13.7%. This current season is an absurd outlier, given that his previous low for shooting percentage is 10.8%, which was back during his rookie year in 2014-15.
David Pastrnak really almost did it pic.twitter.com/hhTZlMsiO6
— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) October 27, 2021
Of course, Pastrnak has also made things a bit hard on himself when it comes to his own shot selection — with the winger currently near the bottom of the NHL in terms of the quality of his attempts at 5v5 play.
Here’s hoping that Pastrnak can disconnect a bit over the holidays and come back renewed and refreshed — because the B’s absolutely need the bevy of chances he’s generating to start landing in the back of the net.
"Had some tough luck around the net,” Pastrnak said Thursday. “Obviously had the chances. I always look at it in a positive way, I'm having the chances. It's just about time for me to bury those opportunities. Trying to see that it's better to have the opportunities and not score than not have them at all.
"But obviously I'm a little bit frustrated at some point because you're used to burying these opportunities…this time is gonna help me to reset a little bit and I'm already looking forward to coming back after a couple days off."
A new partner for Brandon Carlo
The loss of Jakub Zboril is flying under the radar a bit in terms of his impact over a short sample size — with the puck-moving blueliner really locking down a third D pairing with Mike Reilly and injecting some much-needed offense into Boston’s defensive corps.
Still, with guys like Connor Clifton, John Moore and perhaps even Jack Ahcan serving as the next men up — the Bruins at least have a few pieces that they can plug in to try and shore up the back end of their D corps.
What might be the most pressing question concerning the defense at the current juncture, however, is who is the best fit next to Brandon Carlo on that second pairing.
A steady, stay-at-home presence for years, Carlo hasn’t often given Bruce Cassidy headaches in regards to his fit in Boston’s lineup — but this year has been a different story.
Despite some promising returns last year when skating with both Reilly and Matt Grzelcyk, those reps haven’t been nearly as kind this season for Carlo.
In the 185:13 of 5v5 ice time in which Carlo and Grzelcyk have logged reps together, the Bruins have been outscored, 9-3. Oooof.
In a perfect situation, Cassidy would likely keep Grzelcyk together with Charlie McAvoy — with Boston outscoring foes, 10-4, and outshooting them, 124-60, in their 176:06 of 5v5 ice time together.
But that scenario becomes untenable when Carlo can’t develop chemistry with the rest of Boston’s blueliners — with a Reilly-Carlo duo putting together middling returns so far.
Even though Carlo has regularly stated his preference of playing alongside a smaller, puck-moving D-man like a Grzelcyk, Reilly or Torey Krug — his best play so far this season has been next to Derek Forbort, with Boston holding a 6-2 advantage in goals scored over their 66:34 of 5v5 ice time.
That’s pretty impressive, considering just 21.88% of their faceoffs at 5v5 play have come in the offensive zone.
It may be a departure from Carlo’s usual comfort zone, but deploying him as part of a straight shutdown pairing with Forbort might be the best way to get this D corps rolling — especially if it allows for more games with Grzelcyk+McAvoy together.
A new sweater for Jake DeBrusk
Given both the current NHL roster freeze and the complications that have arisen over the past few weeks due to this COVID surge — DeBrusk didn’t get his Christmas wish of a fresh start elsewhere in the NHL.
But here’s hoping that both the Bruins and DeBrusk can find a solution soon that benefits all parties — with Boston gaining a useful asset and DeBrusk benefiting from a clean slate.
As we’ve noted before, there are plenty of teams that would likely be interested in prying a potential 20-goal candidate in DeBrusk out of Boston — but the B’s aren't going to ship out DeBrusk just for the sake of shipping him out.
Be it a 1-for-1 swap for another player in need of a change of scenery or a larger deal in which DeBrusk is just a piece of a larger package, the Bruins need to bring in a productive asset in any DeBrusk trade — because I sure wouldn’t bet against DeBrusk finding his groove in new surroundings later this year.
Longer leashes for Providence call-ups
Given the likelihood of more COVID complications in the coming weeks, the Bruins are probably going to have to tap into their reserves down in Providence early and often in search of reinforcements.
And while a youth movement isn’t exactly underway on this roster (especially not after inking guys like Forbort, Foligno, Haula and Nosek in free agency), it would be nice to see a few youngsters get some extended reps if the situation arises.
Be it Oskar Steen (two helpers in three games) or a guy like Jack Ahcan (31-5 edge in shot attempts during his 5v5 reps against Tampa back on Dec. 4), the Bruins do have a few green skaters that have shown some flashes of potential.
It’s all about giving them the opportunity to prove their worth up in the NHL ranks.
A lighter schedule
While a number of Bruins are disappointed about the NHL’s ruling on the Olympics, the one silver lining is the three-week window now available to cram in games — with the Bruins in desperate need of a break in the schedule in order to lessen that 56-in-104 gauntlet that we mentioned above.
“There's no February break anymore, there's no Olympics to look forward to and maybe take away your focus,” McAvoy said. “Right now, it's on the Boston Bruins and how we are gonna make some hay in this playoff race and be consistent for the rest of the year.”
"We'll certainly be in it for the next three months where we're playing every other day. The consistency of the schedule, just knowing what you're gonna get sometimes can make it easier to put it all together.
"But as they say, rest is a weapon so we're gonna have to find ways to be proactive and very proactive in our recovery because the league wasn't very friendly with our schedule making, as far as separating games and allocating rest time. But we will make it happen."
Not only should the Bruins be able to find windows to accommodate their four postponed games during that February buffer period, but the opportunity could be there to bump up a few games slated for March and April — allowing Boston to spare itself from a few of the brutal back-to-back stretches that are littered throughout the final weeks of the regular season.
Health and good fortune
Yes, I know it sounds like a boilerplate holiday salutation on a Hallmark card, but the Bruins could sure use both as the calendar flips to 2022.
If the Bruins are going to orchestrate any climb up the standings in the Eastern Conference, health is going to have to be on their side — whether that be avoiding any more widespread COVID outbreaks or the plain ol’ injury bug that could tank this season if just one or two key cogs are lost for an extended stretch.
A revision to the current COVID testing and quarantine protocols might be the most anticipated gift that the Bruins (and countless other teams) are hoping for, especially now that the NBA is reportedly set to lessen their restrictions in short order.
But beyond the fairly obvious when it comes to health — man, is this team due for some good luck for a change.
Be it Pastrnak’s rotten luck with scoring chances or other usually productive wingers hampered by a startling lack of offense like Smith (just two goals in 19 games) or Hall (just one 5v5 goal this season), it sure seems like the dam is going to burst at some point for a few snake-bitten guys in the top-six unit.
As maddening as the bottom line has been at times for the Bruins so far this season when it comes to tangible results, there’s still a lot to like about this club.
The goaltending is coming around, and could get a lot better with Rask back in the fold. Even though the construction of Boston’s D corps might chafe many a Bruins fan looking for a more traditional, hard-nosed blue line, the B’s are tops in the league as far as limiting high-danger scoring chances — pacing the pack with that 1.98 expected goals against per 60 minutes.
And with Boston still about six goals below their expected rate when it comes to capitalizing on their O-zone looks — it feels like it’s only going to be a matter of time before guys like Pastrnak start getting hot.
Is this team perfect? Certainly not. Could it use another key piece via trade? Absolutely. Do more contributors further down on the depth chart need to pull on the rope a lot more? No doubt.
But for as much as the first few months of the 2021-22 campaign have brought forth rather pedestrian returns — the numbers offer some sliver of hope that brighter days are ahead for a Bruins team still operating with the expectation that a fruitful postseason run sits on the horizon.
"Obviously what we've been trying to do is just build our consistency, find our game on a more consistent basis, putting together a win streak," McAvoy said. "Consecutive wins is something that we've done a couple times this year but I wouldn't say as frequently as we've done in first halves in the past.
"But nonetheless, we've always gone through something like this. The NHL season is too long to not have a down month or a down week. And it just so happens this year we've had some of those inconsistencies in the first half whereas we've had them later or at different times. I don't find it to be worrisome. I believe in the group. We all do. I think this break is good for us."
Much like how the Bruins should relish this time off over the holiday break, here’s hoping all of our loyal readers are in the same boat. Wishing good health, good fortune, peace and good tidings for you all — and as always, thank you for your continued support and readership.