For years now, the Bruins’ top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have staked their claim as one of — if not the best — forward trio in hockey.
But the lofty pedigree that Boston’s top triumvirate boasts has not absolved Bruce Cassidy and the B’s from criticism when it comes to deploying a top-heavy forward configuration over the last few seasons.
For some, the notion of splitting up the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line in order to cultivate a more well-rounded scoring output is a no-brainer — and should have been implemented long before Cassidy opted to finally shuffle up his roster a few weeks ago.
The rationale has been in place for years, even if the luxury of siccing Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak against the opposition has stood as a tantalizing weapon for Cassidy in the past — and perhaps the primary deterrent in such a lineup switcheroo taking place.
But given the impressive returns that just about any line anchored by Bergeron and Marchand should generate — coupled with the rush capabilities and playmaking potential of a second line with both Pastrnak and Taylor Hall entrenched on the wings, there’s a whole lot to like about what said roster could do when it comes to spreading the wealth offensively.
Count David Krejci among those who agree with such sentiment.
The 35-year-old pivot sure seems to be enjoying things across the Atlantic — now up to 34 points in 35 games with his hometown HC Olomouc over the Czech Extraliga.
But the longtime B’s forward is still keeping tabs on his former NHL club, especially in regards to Boston’s decision to hand Erik Haula a pair of high-powered wingers in Hall and Pastrnak.
Saddled with a rotating carousel of wingers to his left and right over his final few seasons in a black-and-gold sweater, Krejci flexed his O-zone muscles when finally bestowed with a legit supporting cast in Hall and Craig Smith last year — with that second line outscoring opponents, 13-1, in about 180 minutes of 5v5 ice time.
But when it comes to earning extended reps with his fellow countryman in Pastrnak, such a scenario only really became tenable in situations where Krejci was logging reps at 1C in place of an injured Bergeron.
So when Krejci glances through Bruins’ highlights these days and sees Haula, it’s only natural for Krejci to scratch his head at the circumstances, especially considering Boston tossed him a couple of squeaky training wheels and a rechargeable battery for most his last few years here.
Such was the feeling that Krejci seemed to convey when speaking with Miroslav Horák and isport.cz — noting that his stints with Pastrnak (especially on the second line) were regularly few and far between.
“Coach Cassidy rarely let the two of us play together,” Krejci told Horák (via Google Translate). “It had to be so that he split the first line and put Pasta to me. It was a maximum of two (games).
“Years later, I leave Boston and suddenly it is possible. That struck me. (Cassidy) always told me that there was no reason to take Pasta off the first line and that it would be as short as possible to distribute the forces. I had to take it. But now Pasta has five or so many (games) on the line with Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. Strange.”
Krejci might not have been a major talker during his media scrums in Boston, but the soft-spoken forward was also not afraid to offer blunt commentary at times — like when he rolled his eyes about the Jimmy Vesey “sweepstakes”, especially after letting Loui Eriksson walk in free agency.
As such, Krejci’s comments aren't necessarily surprising, especially given the results we’ve seen so far this season when Haula (who is certainly not the same playmaker as Krejci) has been slotted in at 2C between Hall and Pastrnak.
In a little under 50 minutes of 5v5 ice time so far this season, the Hall-Haula-Pastrnak line has outscored opponents, 4-2 — with Saturday’s win over the Lightning standing as perhaps their most encouraging performance yet.
The comments certainly didn’t come as a surprise to Cassidy either when asked about it on Saturday.
“(Sean) Kuraly asked to play with Pastrnak. (Charlie) Coyle asked to play with Pastrnak. Riley Nash asked to play with Pastrnak. They all want to play with Pastrnak, who wouldn't, right? So I understand David's point of view,” Cassidy said. “He didn't see him as much as he'd like.
I think at that particular time, that line was arguably the best in the National Hockey League. I think our team was going better offensively than it was two weeks ago when I made a decision. … At the time, we also felt David could drive a line, no matter who his wingers were. And we saw some of that.”
Of course, going through the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” rabbit hole is a pretty fruitless exercise.
Could Boston have altered its fortunes over the past couple of years had Krejci been given Pastrnak on the second line? Perhaps.
But, of course, if Krejci was actually playing in Boston this season, his apparent consternation about the Hall-Haula-Pastrnak combination wouldn’t have even been a thing — given that Krejci would have benefited from whatever top-six supporting cast that Cassidy surrounded him with in 2021-22.
Perhaps he still wouldn't have had Pastrnak on his line. But if the fallback option is Hall/Smith — the same duo that helped Krejci dice through opponents last season — one would have to think that both Krejci and the Bruins would have been more than thrilled with that situation.
Again, shoulda, coulda, woulda.
“Erik Haula is in that position right now,” Cassidy said. “So there's some differences from why we made the switch now than years ago. And like I said, I respect David's opinion, he was a great Bruin. We're doing what we have to do for the team now. Hopefully, it's the right decision, and we'll see how it plays out."
Buyer beware with Klingberg
Jakob Chychrun might be the most intriguing D-man that’s currently being dangled out on the trade market. But as more teams scuttle in the standings and players begin to look beyond 2022 — it’s to be expected for other intriguing names to begin sprouting up on the rumor mill.
Look no further than the situation developing out in Dallas — with John Klingberg potentially on the move after expressing frustration at the lack of urgency in regards to a new contract.
Even though Klingberg pushed back a bit on reports that he outright asked for a trade, the 29-year-old blueliner does seem awfully peeved about his situation in Dallas — especially after seeing two other defensemen in the room in Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell ink larger deals over the last couple of seasons.
“Other guys have signed right before the season before and I wanted to do that as well,” Klingberg said, per Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. “Lately, it has been going more quietly and quietly. For me, as a player, I don’t feel that I’ve been appreciated in that way when we don’t even negotiate. It’s quiet.”
Unlike Chychrun, who would command a king’s ransom for any team looking to pry him out of Arizona due to his age (23), skill and a bargain contract that runs through 2025 (at a $4.6 million annual cap hit), acquiring Klingberg could be a more agreeable move for a team looking for blueline help at the deadline.
But when it comes to potential fit with Boston, Klingberg seems like entirely the wrong target if the B’s are looking to beef up their D corps.
One of the obvious issues is the fit, considering that Klingberg is a right shot. Even though the case could be made that the B’s should be perusing around the league for some third-pairing depth on the right side, Klingberg is a top-four option on an NHL roster. And considering that Boston already has Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo in place on the right side, cramming yet another puck mover in Klingberg further down the lineup just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
If Boston is really looking to add a defensive piece or two at the deadline (beyond swinging for the fences for a legit top-four guy like a Chychrun or a Hampus Lindholm), what you need is a big-bodied bruiser like a Jani Hakanpaa on that third pair (hence why I advocated Boston signing him this past summer), not a Klingberg.
And even if Boston needed some more playmaking pop on the backend, Klingberg may not be the guy you want to target, given his declining numbers. Yes, he can still serve as an effective power-play weapon (16 points in 25 games this season), but his reign as Dallas’ D-corps anchor is no more, especially with Heiskanen rising up the ranks.
(Quite the drop-off for Klingberg over the last few years, especially on the defensive end.)
I wouldn’t be surprised if Dallas moves Klingberg instead of letting him walk this summer, but I wouldn’t count the B’s as being an interested party in any such talk. My hunch is that Boston is still focusing more on beefing their talent up front, and looking more at depth options if necessary to bolster this defense.
Just say no on Evander Kane
On the latest 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Jeff Marek reported that the Bruins might have some interest in Arizona left wing Lawson Crouse, a physical power forward with an 8-8-16 stat line over 31 games with the ‘Yotes.
Even though the Bruins might have a potential middle-six regular developing in the NHL ranks already in Oskar Steen, the B’s could always use some more help — especially on the left side with Nick Foligno potentially out with a lower-body injury and Jake DeBrusk likely out the door via a trade in the coming weeks/months.
But if the Bruins want to bring in a legit left winger with top-six potential, they could do so without so much as dealing an asset or handing over heaps of cash.
The trade-off? Bringing in a guy to the B’s dressing room with an awful lot of red on his ledger in Evander Kane.
There’s a lot to sort through over the next few days when it comes to potential grievances filed by the NHLPA, but it sure seems like Kane — who inked a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Sharks back in 2018 — is going to be an unrestricted free agent in short order.
San Jose placed the winger on unconditional waivers Saturday for the purpose of terminating his contract — and if no team claims him by 2 p.m. on Sunday, the Sharks stand to cancel the remaining three-and-a-half years on deal and Kane will become a UFA.
Elliotte Friedman noted on Hockey Night in Canada that plenty of teams would be interested in Kane if he hit free agency. And when factoring in ONLY the financial decision-making and the baseline production? Yeah, that seems about right.
Kane was arguably the Sharks’ best player last season (49 points in 56 games) and has developed a reputation for close to a decade as a physical winger with a scoring touch. The 30-year-old forward has scored 25+ goals five times in his career — and surpassed the 40-point threshold eight total times.
But when it comes to the decision to sign Kane, just staring at the scoresheet and cap space isn’t going to cut it, not with a guy with a history like his.
The last few seasons have been nothing short of a disaster for Kane in San Jose — be it his gambling issues and subsequent bankruptcy, accusations by his estranged wife about gambling on games and domestic abuse and a 21-game suspension earlier this season for using a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
Long before San Jose opted to pull the plug on the troubled winger, it sure seemed like his teammates had had enough of him — with Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reporting back in August that multiple players stressed in their exit meetings that they no longer wanted Kane in the organization due to a myriad of on and off-ice issues.
But the straw that broke the camel’s back was apparently a “breach of (Kane’s) Standard Player Contract” and “violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols.”
According to Friedman, Kane — who tested positive for coronavirus on Dec. 21 — got on a flight back home to Vancouver on Dec. 29, before his 10-day quarantine was up. Another dispute involved Kane returning back to the San Jose Barracudas (the Sharks’ AHL affiliate) on Jan. 6 — when he was supposed to return on Dec. 31.
Just a complete and utter mess, to say the least.
Could the Bruins use a player with Kane’s skillset and talent? Sure, of course. So could plenty of other teams — especially if he’s available for cheap.
But when it comes to the risk/reward component of things — Kane’s history, the likelihood of more distractions and his REPEATED infractions away from the rink just don’t seem to be worth the trouble.
Yes, the Bruins are still staring at a win-now window and who knows how many more chances this core will have. They have a strong, veteran-led locker room that embraces accountability.
But running the risk with a guy like Kane — even with his obvious talent — could be a disastrous move.
Rask revisits milk crate incident in Providence
It only took approximately five minutes after the Bruins announced that Tuukka Rask signed a PTO deal with Providence for the netminder’s most memorable minor-league moment to spread like wildfire over the interwebs.
Of course, we’re referring to Rask’s meltdown back in 2009 — when the 22-year-old prospect went on a warpath following a ruling in a shootout that went against the P-Bruins. After whipping his stick into the boards following the call by the officials, Rask heaved a milk crate onto the ice in protest.
Bruce Cassidy on Tuukka Rask's calm demeanor:
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) May 28, 2019
"He's really even keel. ... That's typical Tuukka. He had one episode in Providence. I was there for it. It was a number of years ago.
"It's worth Googling - it's excellent." pic.twitter.com/1zKWp3b9Ld
Of course, the 34-year-old Rask has mellowed out since then. But before his weekend slate of games at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center were canned due to COVID issues, Rask made no guarantees that similar incidents wouldn’t ensue with him back in his old digs.
“I hope not,” Rask said when asked if he’d unleash another tirade in Providence. “If we want to see some ESPN not-top-10 highlights again I might have to pull something out of my hat. I was actually talking to my agent (Wednesday) and he was telling me, ‘hey, it doesn’t matter if some young guy tries to do something crazy out there, don’t lose your cool.’ I didn’t give him any promises.”
Cassidy hopeful about finally getting chance to live out Olympics dream
Like many of the other players, coaches, staff and other personnel that were planning on making the trek over to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Bruce Cassidy was disappointed in the NHL’s ruling last month that halted participating in the upcoming Winter Games.
Cassidy was set to get his first taste of the international event this year as an assistant coach on Jon Cooper’s staff with Team Canada — but now, it looks as though Cassidy will have to wait until 2026 for another opportunity.
“They asked for their computer back, rightfully so, but they didn't get their other swag back,” Cassidy said of Team Canada. “I'm hanging on to that. Like it or not, that'll be good in the summer — the golf shirts, etc. Listen, everyone's disappointed. I said it. I was grateful for the time I got to spend in Banff with some great hockey minds. Obviously Coop, Barry Trotz, Pete DeBoer, Doug Armstrong. I spent time with (Don Sweeney) every day, some of the other guys you see for Hockey Canada. It was awesome. It really was a good experience — from the trainers to support personnel. It was a good group and you felt like it was going to be a family already.
“So that's the disappointing part. You're excited about — you're doing video on Connor McDavid or (Sidney) Crosby — guys that I haven't crossed paths with. I get to coach elite players every day from Canada. But these are a group of them, so there's a lot of that. Maybe when the Olympics happen in February and you're watching Team Canada — you'll probably get a little bit sentimental. Like, hey, could have been me over there. But you look for an opportunity down the road.”
While it’s hard to predict what both players and coaches’ circumstances will be once 2026 rolls around (if that’s the course that the NHL opts to take), Cassidy hopes that he will be up for consideration once more— be it for Team Canada or perhaps Team USA (he became a dual citizen in 2020).
“Hopefully I'm still in the mix in four years and can represent our country or the United States for that matter. I happen to be lucky — I get two countries," Cassidy said. "So to be able to go over there would be, I think it's a special opportunity for everybody. That's why you hear guys saying that —that they want to still go. Because It doesn't come along every day and this is what we do for a living, so to be around the elite is a special thing."
O’Ree to participate virtually for number retirement ceremony
Due to concerns regarding travel and coronavirus, Willie O’Ree will participate virtually for his number retirement ceremony with the Bruins on Jan. 18.
O’Ree, who will see his No. 22 sweater raised to the TD Garden rafters ahead of Boston’s home tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes, will take part in the event from his home in San Diego.
O’Ree said in a statement: "While my family and I looked forward to participating in the ceremonies in-person, the long travel and associated risks that come along with a cross-country trip have led us to make the difficult decision to participate virtually.
“I want to thank the Bruins organization for their support and understanding, and I remain incredibly honored that they have chosen to retire my number. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the fans for their support throughout the years. I am excited to connect with everyone remotely, from my home in San Diego, on January 18."
The ceremony was originally slated for February 2021, but it was pushed back in hopes of allowing fans back into the building for the event.
The ceremony falls on the anniversary of O'Ree's NHL debut — as he became the first black player to ever play in the NHL on Jan. 18, 1958.
O'Ree, now 86, will become the 12th player to have his sweater honored by the Boston Bruins in franchise history, joining Lionel Hitchman (#3, 1934), Aubrey “Dit” Clapper (#5, 1947), Eddie Shore (#2, 1949), Milt Schmidt (#15, 1957), Bobby Orr (#4, 1979), Johnny Bucyk (#9, 1980), Phil Esposito (#7, 1987), Ray Bourque (#77, 2001), Terry O'Reilly (#24, 2002), Cam Neely (#8, 2004) and Rick Middleton (#16, 2018).
For fans set to attend the game, the pregame ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. — with puck drop slated for 7:20.
Wes McCauley is still a gem
We’ll end our lengthy NHL notebook this weekend with another memorable call from Wes McCauley — whose reign as the league’s top official (or at the very least, the most entertaining) doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.
Say the line, Wes McCauley. 😂 pic.twitter.com/g1fYgRShmz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 5, 2022