NHL Notebook: Stock watch on Bruins roster as preseason enters final week

With a few weeks of practices and three total preseason games now in the books, let’s take a look at which players are trending upwards — and which are trending downwards — as Boston continues to carve out its roster.

Given the number of individuals in play on Boston’s roster, we won't go through every skater and netminder that has taken part in camp — given that there are a few no-brainers that don’t necessarily need to be subjected to a stock watch. Yes, I don’t think guys like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or David Pastrnak need to be looking over their shoulders this fall. 

So, with the final cuts looming — here are the players that are making a push during camp, the ones that could be putting themselves in the doghouse and the players further down the pipeline that still made a good impression at Warrior Ice Arena.

STOCK RISING 

A.J. Greer: Probably the biggest surprise so far during camp, Greer has gone from free-agent journeyman to a hard-nosed, quick-skating sparkplug who seems destined to fit into Jim Montgomery’s plans for a high-octane fourth line. Of course, the Bruins aren’t expecting Greer to score 20+ goals this season, but even if his offensive game regresses a bit, his willingness to engage and throw his weight around has made him a natural fit for this team.

It’s important to stress caution when it comes to getting swept up in the potential of a player off of just a few preseason contests, but Greer sure fits the profile of exactly what this team could need — be it on the fourth line, or potentially even stapled to Charlie Coyle’s left in the middle-six grouping.

With another strong preseason showing this week, Greer should be a safe bet to start somewhere in Boston’s lineup come Oct. 12. 

Jack Studnicka: Much like Greer, we’ll need to see Studnicka continue to build off of a strong preseason showing on Tuesday before we’re ready to anoint him with a starting spot on this roster. But I’ll give credit where it’s due, Studnicka is flipping the narrative on its head as it pertains to his future in Boston and whether or not he can augment his game into being a fourth-line center. 

Sure, Studnicka may not offer the same gritty skillset as, say, a Gregory Campbell. But the 23-year-old forward’s speed, renewed emphasis on forechecking pressure and that flash of high-end skill could make him a high-ceiling option for Montgomery to roll with, especially next to a player like Greer. 

If Boston goes away from Bruce Cassidy’s deployment of the fourth line as a defensive-minded, shutdown trio granted little in terms of O-zone starts, opting for a skill-heavy unit anchored by Studnicka could be the best way to reverse course. Again, it's all about carrying that momentum forward into this week of preseason games. 

Marc McLaughlin: Yes, conventional thinking would probably map out a scenario in which McLaughlin was destined to open the year in Providence, regardless of how he fared during this camp. 

While McLaughlin is exempt from waivers if he’s assigned to the AHL, many other B’s skaters are not so lucky — pushing McLaughlin a bit further down the totem pole when compared to veterans or even longer-tenured prospects like Studncika and Oskar Steen.

Sure, having a situation in which Boston sees what it has in guys like Steen while McLaughlin develops under top-six minutes in Providence this fall isn’t exactly a bad path to take. But McLaughlin is doing everything he can to make such a move difficult for Montgomery and Co., because the Billerica product has been one of the most consistent contributors during camp.

His solid, two-way game and forechecking effort should already put him right in the mix for the competition for that vacant 4RW spot, but that sneaky, heavy shot and higher offensive ceiling could make him a very appealing linemate if slotted next to some crafty players like a Studnicka or Greer. 

"I'm not so worried about the points aspects of things,” McLaughlin said following his two-goal outing on Saturday. “It's the details that are going to separate me and allow me to make this team. So I've really been honing in on that. And I think I can still make strides with that. And I'm really trying to focus on that through film and everything because I'm gunning for a fourth-line position. And that's details, that's making the right plays, hopefully penalty killing."

Chris Wagner: In a perfect scenario, a hard-nosed, physical winger like Wagner would be the ideal extra forward for a team like Boston. Sure, he may not be a guy that should be logging 50+ games up at the NHL ranks, but the 31-year-old forward has answered the call whenever he’s been back in the lineup after toiling around in Providence for most of last season. 

If you’re looking for a physical response or an on-ice shot of adrenaline, a guy like Wagner (who has 16 hits in two preseason games) can certainly fill that role. But unfortunately, Wagner’s fate might be tied into just how Boston handles other the other veterans who also sit on the roster bubble. 

“Wags has been really good,” Montgomery said. “Someone asked me the question the other day. As a coach, you trust him, because you know he's going to check really well. He's going to build momentum for the team because he's harder. He's physical and he does things the right way.”

Jeremy Swayman/Linus Ullmark: No surprise here that these two will start the season as 1A/1B (although it still remains to be seen who earns that starting nod on Oct. 12), but both goalies have been very strong out of the gate. After Swayman stopped 24 of 26 shots against the Rangers on Tuesday, Ullmark followed suit with a 21-save shutout against the Flyers on Saturday.

Mike Reilly: For months now, Reilly’s future in Boston has been a hot topic, given his drop in play last season, the arrival of other D-men like Jakub Zboril and Hampus Lindholm into the equation and Boston’s looming cap crunch. But it does seem like Montgomery’s plans for a more engaged and active D has Reilly situated at the forefront, with Reilly landing five shots on goal during Tuesday’s win over New York. Yes, Reilly could still be on the outside looking in if guys like Derek Forbort and Zboril carry out their expected duties, but a healthy Reilly isn’t going to make it an easy decision for Montogmery when the time comes to pick out the best six-man grouping on the blue line. Don't rule him out quite yet. 

Jakub Zboril: Montgomery didn’t mince words when it came to evaluating Zboril’s performance so far this preseason. “Zboril has been outstanding, he's been one of the top five players in camp,” Boston’s bench boss noted.  Now, Montgomery was a bit more critical of Zboril’s performance following Saturday’s game against the Flyers, but Zboril’s versatility and skillset should make him an everyday contributor on this Bruins team. He’s been very steady in all situations so far this preseason. Could be fighting for minutes on the right side with Connor Clifton and Anton Stralman once Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk return.

HOLDING STEADY 

Brandon Carlo, Johnny Beecher, Charlie Coyle, Kyle Keyser, Keith Kinkaid Jack Ahcan, Jake DeBrusk, Jakub Lauko, Anton Stralman, Fabian Lysell, Joona Koppanen, Connor Clifton, Pavel Zacha, Michael Callahan, Victor Berglund, Derek Forbort, Nick Wolff, Vinni Lettieri, Dan Renouf, Kai Wissmann

We won’t go into every single player in this rather hefty crop of talent, but it’s probably good news for the Bruins that a number of lineup regulars have been as-advertised. Of course, the writing is on the wall that guys like Callahan, Beecher, Ahcan, Lauko, etc. are all heading to Providence to open the year, but that’s not necessarily an indictment on their game. Some ups and downs that come with AHLers getting reps against NHL talent, but they’ve all done their jobs for the most part. 

Fabian Lysell is an interesting candidate, as he struggled a bit with the pace at the NHL level in his preseason debut against Philly, but was much better in limited minutes against the Flyers on Saturday before leaving due to injury. It sure seems like Lysell is going to start the year in Providence, but Montgomery’s comments on Saturday seem to point to Boston wanting to give him one more game up with the big club. 

Not really flashy, but Zacha impressed on Saturday against Philly with his defensive positioning and details, while Carlo has shown a willingness to be much more assertive so far during preseason action. He’s not going to develop into an offensive dynamo, but a confident Carlo could make a world of a difference for this D corps. Stralman seems destined for a one-year deal at some point in the next week — steady, dependable and effective.

STOCK DROPPING

Nick Foligno: The Bruins might have some tough decisions to make in the next week when it comes to Foligno and his role on this team. There’s no questioning the veteran’s effort, leadership in the room and intangibles, but given the amount of depth on this roster, the Bruins can’t carve out a spot for an underachieving player like Foligno just because of his extensive resume in the NHL. Montgomery seems to agree with such a sentiment.

“Obviously, you take in the resume a bit,” Montgomery said of how he evaluates players during camp. “But that's maybe 10%. It's what are you doing right now. And you see players start to get better throughout camp. And that tends to be your NHL vets tend to grow during camp. The younger players don't have as long a leash, they got to impress right away and continue to build throughout camp. So you're looking for players at the end of the camp that continue to grow, make an impression and the vets that continue to rise to the top.”

Considering that Boston didn’t buy out Foligno back in the offseason when they had a chance, it does seem like the B’s want to keep Foligno in place and see what they have in the forward, especially in a checking-line role. But with Greer’s emergence and the continued strong play of players like McLaughlin, the Bruins can’t give Foligno a 20+ game run to see just how much he has left in the tank — not when there are so many viable candidates fighting for playing time. At this stage, Foligno is looking more like an extra forward in this lineup, and Wagner has honestly made a better pitch for fulfilling that role so far during preseason play.

Trent Frederic: Frederic sure helped his case a bit on Saturday with a strong third period against the Flyers, but the forward still seems to be on unsteady ground when it comes to his spot in the lineup. Following Greer's breakout game against the Rangers, he has leapfrogged Frederic on the third line during practices, with Montgomery wanting more consistent play from Frederic in order to justify playing time — especially outside of checking-line duties. He spent most of last season on the third line, but Frederic could suddenly find himself embroiled on the ongoing fourth-line roster battle if he doesn't raise his level of play.

"I guess a more complete 60 minutes, right? Start the game like you finish the third," Montgomery said of Frederic. "But he was really good in the third. He was a man down low. I thought that that second goal all started with him and his puck protection against Ristolainen an NHL defenseman. So that's the kind of play we want for his game to continue to grow and his confidence to grow, and you saw it grow from there."

Oskar Steen: Yes, Steen might have tallied a short-handed goal on Tuesday against the Rangers, but he hasn’t done much else to really impact games during his minutes. Steen’s waiver status might be the lone thing preventing McLaughlin from securing that 4RW spot right now — but at this point, the Bruins might still opt for McLaughlin given his strong play this fall.

Connor Carrick: Solid, but unspectacular so far during preseason action. Anton Stralman’s arrival likely signals an assignment down to Providence for Carrick, who is currently day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Craig Smith: A bit of a slow start for Smith, who is still looking to bounce back from a sluggish end to last season against Carolina. As we noted before, Smith’s even-strength production — especially further down the lineup — should justify his spot in the lineup, at least for right now. But if Lysell gets another preseason game and really flashes, things could get interesting when it comes to the blue-chip prospect eventually pushing someone like Smith later on this season.  

Tomas Nosek: Nosek’s responsible, two-way game and ability to log heavy minutes on the PK initially made him a safe pick to make the roster. But the veteran hasn’t really showcased all that much so far during preseason play — and if Studnicka continues to make a push, Nosek could run the risk of being the odd man out of this roster. Boston could be playing with fire in terms of moving on from a solid faceoff, defensive option like Nosek, but it all comes down to what Montgomery is looking to build on that fourth line. If it's skill and energy, Nosek might be in trouble.

OTHER NOTES

Montgomery reflects on trips to Old Garden

During his six seasons and 122 total games up in the NHL ranks, Jim Montgomery checked a number of old barns off his bucket list — especially when it came to playing in hallowed venues such as the old Boston Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens and Chicago Stadium.

For Montgomery, who also skated on the old Garden ice during his collegiate career at the University of Maine, his two fondest memories on Causeway Street both involved his on-ice meetings with a particular Bruins blueliner. 

“There are two NHL memories I have,” Montgomery said. “(Ray) Bourque skipping one from his own top of the circles at our goalie and going "woo-hoo-hooo!" to the bench as he changed. And then the other thing was, I think the second time I was with Montreal, we were down 4-0. 

“And I came in with five minutes left in the game and Bourque ran me and I'm like, 'This guy has played 30 minutes and he's still playing this hard with two minutes left'. Just showed what a great player he is and why he's such a legend.”

Chara to be honored with puck drop

In a far-from-shocking move, the Bruins will officially honor recently-retired B’s blueliner Zdeno Chara later this month — with Chara set to take part in a ceremonial puck drop on Saturday, October 22, when the team hosts the Minnesota Wild at TD Garden at 1 p.m.  

It still remains to be seen when Chara will eventually see his No. 33 sweater get raised up to the rafters, although based on Cam Neely’s recent comments, the team may not be waiting all that long. 

“I mean with all he’s done for the franchise, it’s kind of a no-brainer," Neely said following Chara’s retirement press conference.

Jakob Chychrun watch continues

Another NHL season, another extensive trade saga to follow out west. 

The Coyotes, a woeful franchise set to play in a 5,000-seat collegiate arena this season, opted to not pull the trigger and move disgruntled defenseman (and tried-and-true B’s trade target) Jakob Chychrun this offseason — despite the numerous suitors all vying to take the 24-year-old, top-pairing stalwart off their hands.

Perhaps a new season would present a clean slate for both parties? Well, not really.

"The team approached me a couple of times, one before the [2021-22 season], one early in the season and we just had discussions about where I was mentally and where the team was at," Chychrun said in his first meeting with the Arizona media last week. "Knowing the type of competitor and person that I am, they indicated if this rebuild was going to be hard or difficult on me that, if I wanted to be in a different situation, they were going to be willing to and make that happen. 

"[I] decided to take them up on that offer and try to move on to a better situation [because of] my desire to win in this league. Careers are so short, the time flies by, and I'm in my seventh year in the NHL. …  I don't want these years to keep going by and be 10, 12 years in and not had a real good chance at not only the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup. That's really my mentality and where I'm at and I think the team understands that, to get moved to a situation with a chance to win and a team that's fighting for the Stanley Cup."

Well, that settles that. Of course, with the Bruins relinquishing more draft capital last March in order to pluck fellow top-pairing regular Hampus Lindholm out of Anaheim, we’re going to put Boston out of the running here. But don’t be surprised to see another contender (Los Angeles?) pay a HUGE price in order to acquire Chychrun and that favorable contract ($4.6 million AAV through 2025).