With the 2021-22 Bruins season coming to an end, we’re ready to finally turn the page and start looking ahead to what will be a very busy summer in Boston. But before we officially delve deeper into a high-stakes offseason for the B’s — let’s put a stamp on the past year by handing out our annual grades for the Bruins.
After taking a look at the forwards over the weekend, let’s delve into Boston’s defense, goaltending and the higher-ups in the organization:
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy: A+
He once again wasn’t a Norris Trophy finalist (he was a top-3 vote on my ballot), but McAvoy looked like a franchise blueliner in 2021-22 — taking another step forward offensively while continuing to thrive as a shutdown ace and a transition trump card. We’ll see if McAvoy ever gets the national recognition he deserves (he might have to break the 60-point threshold to do so), but the 24-year-old blueliner is already a cornerstone for this B’s team — and should only continue to get better. Few players in the league present a more balanced skillset on the ice.
Hampus Lindholm: A-
It might have been a small sample size, but the Bruins have to be thrilled with just how well Lindholm was able to mesh with this new defensive structure — and thrive alongside another top-pairing force in McAvoy. Be it his ability to log heavy minutes, shutdown ability or transition game, Lindholm checks off plenty of boxes when it comes to what the B’s desperately needed at the top of the depth chart. And even though his tangible offensive production didn’t stand out, Lindholm’s ability to blast shots from the blue line should also come in handy next season as Boston tries to generate more offense from low-to-high plays and slappers from the point.
Jakub Zboril: B
Just a brutal stretch of luck for Zboril, who was lost for the season after tearing his ACL back in December. Yes, another small sample size, but the 2015 first-round pick sure looked like an everyday NHLer this season — playing with poise and assertive in his decision-making with the puck. Sure, he may not be a 30-point producer on the blue line or a shutdown, top-pairing anchor, but Zboril does have the skillset to be a dependable contributor on an NHL D corps. Should be a valuable depth option next season that can push for starting minutes, especially given his ability to play on both the left and right sides.
Matt Grzelcyk: B-
It was a bit of a lost season for Grzelcyk, who was hampered by a dislocated shoulder that he tried to play through since January. Even with some of his detractors (especially around the postseason), Grzelcyk should still be viewed as a net positive for this team given his transition skills and ability to move the puck along the offensive blue line. But it was clear that the Charlestown native struggled with getting into a groove after getting trucked by Pierre-Luc Dubois near the turn of the new year. If healthy, Grzelcyk should still be a useful cog in Boston’s D corps in 2022-23, although it remains to be seen where he best fits in the lineup.
Connor Clifton: B-
At this point, what you see might be what you get from Clifton — a physical, instinctive bottom-pair blueliner who will go through some peaks and valleys over a long 82-game NHL campaign. After a bit of a rough start, Clifton really started to come into his own down the stretch and especially in the postseason alongside Derek Forbort. The Bruins are hoping that a strong finish will give Clifton some momentum going into next season, where he will likely be handed the keys to that third-pairing slot on the right side. Offers a skillset that the B’s do need lower down on the depth chart.
Derek Forbort: B-
Much like Clifton, it wasn’t exactly the strongest start for Forbort, who was out of place for some extended stretches, especially when paired with McAvoy. But after getting penciled into a third-pairing spot, Forbort was as advertised as a no-frills, PK ace who is more than willing to eat pucks during punishing shifts. Similar to Clifton, Forbort’s skillset is needed on Boston’s D corps, although you’d like a bit more snarl given his size. Had a strong series against Carolina, especially on the shorthanded unit.
Mike Reilly: C
After serving as a pleasant surprise and an underrated offensive conduit last season thanks to his puck-moving talents and first-pass ability, Reilly really struggled to settle into a groove in his first full year in a black-and-gold sweater. Had spurts in which he was very effective, especially in the postseason, but also had several D-zone lapses and errant feeds that often led to pucks in the back of Boston’s net. Could be the odd-man out on Boston’s D corps, especially with Lindholm’s arrival and Grzelcyk’s injury.
Brandon Carlo: C-
A really disappointing season for Carlo, especially after inking a six-year contract last July. He’s never been a flashy player, but when he’s on his game, Carlo is an effective, top-four regular who can snuff out scoring chances and thrive off of making simple, smart plays. But far too often this season, Carlo was done in by poor decision making or uncharacteristic miscues in Boston’s zone. At just 25 years old, Carlo still has some room to grow and the Bruins are hoping the 2021-22 season was just a blip after dealing with concussion issues in 2020-21.
GOALTENDERS
Jeremy Swayman: B+
The Bruins have to be impressed with what their rookie netminder put forth this year — especially given the elevated expectations that came with his sterling debut in 2021. Despite some expected bumps in the road, Swayman’s poise and evident talent allowed him to navigate the twists and turns that presented themselves over a long season, especially after getting sent down to Providence following Tuukka Rask’s return. Upon getting recalled, Swayman went 11-2-1 with a .932 save percentage over his next 15 games — and later elevated his game again in the postseason after Linus Ullmark supplanted him as the team’s top starter in late April. There is a whole lot of uncertainty moving forward with this franchise, but Boston shouldn’t fret about their situation in net moving forward.
Linus Ullmark: B
Ullmark drew a lot of criticism from B’s fans this season, but he was a more than capable tandem-mate with Swayman — posting a 26-10-2 record with a .917 save percentage. While Swayman might offer a bit of a higher ceiling, Ullmark routinely buoyed the B’s with some hot streaks at critical moments of the season, be it in late November/December when the club was struggling (.939 save percentage over six games) or down the stretch in April when he posted a .943 save percentage over his last eight appearances.
COACHING/MANAGEMENT
Bruce Cassidy: B+
No, Cassidy does not get off scot-free for Boston’s first-round exit. But to assess a majority of the blame on the bench boss’ system and his handling of the roster is … misguided, and that might be putting it lightly. Despite being handed an overturned (and pretty flawed) roster, Cassidy managed to get a lot out of this group, especially with his mid-season lineup reshuffle that dispersed more balanced scoring (at least for a few months). Sure, you could make the case that he waited too long to split up 63-37-88 — and the B’s have labored when it comes to developing forwards under Cassidy’s watch (although that might have more to do with the talent pool in the system) — but Cassidy is far from the main issue with this team.
Don Sweeney: C
Sweeney’s pending contract extension doesn't necessarily come as much of a surprise — from the organization's point of view. Even with Boston’s first-round loss to Carolina, it seemed as though Sweeney earned himself more time after dealing for Lindholm. And even though most of the criticism regarding Sweeney falls on his drafting, the B’s do have a pretty impressive wave of youngsters on the way thanks to a promising influx of prospects in 2020 and 2021 — headlined by Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei.
That being said, those positive steps forward still shouldn’t absolve Sweeney from his inability to surround this core with the necessary talent in 2022 — especially after entering this past offseason with a boatload of cap space. Whether it be failing to allocate those funds wisely (especially on players like Nick Foligno), not being able to also acquire a middle-six forward at the deadline (even after clearing cap space in the Lindholm swap) or not having a plan in place for Patrice Bergeron’s potential retirement, Sweeney deserves plenty of criticism for the murky future of this Original Six franchise.