Breaking down the Boston Bruins ahead of NHL Free Agency.
Pending free agents
Unrestricted: 8 | Restricted: 11 | See full list
[teamleaders league=”nhl” team=”bos” season=”2013″]
Bruins overview
Any year that doesn’t end with a parade is, justifiably, a disappointment for the Bruins, so you can imagine how well a second-round loss to the hated Montreal Canadiens must sit. Still, most of Boston’s key players — Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Milan Lucic — are firmly in their prime, meaning this club will be a contender for years. And while Zdeno Chara is now 37-years old, the big man keeps himself in phenomenal shape and continues to perform at a high level.
The Bruins aren’t tackling any major issues, but rather tinkering to make a good thing great again. The B’s can also count on some internal development, as Dougie Hamilton continues to grow into a top-tier blueliner. Last summer, Boston made headlines by trading Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars. Don’t expect anything on that level this year, unless the team has actually tired of Brad Marchand’s act.
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| Click player positions to see depth chart | ||
Areas to address
There’s really no obvious need for the Bruins, assuming they can retain Jarome Iginla as their top-line right winger. The fit with “Iggy” was good from the word go last fall and a deal just makes too much sense from both sides not to get done. On the back end, the B’s stand to gain simply by getting Dennis Seidenberg back full-time after the veteran d-man missed more than half of 2013-14 with a knee injury. If anything, Boston — which has a surplus of NHL-calibre defencemen — might be looking to ship out a blueliner in order to clear some cap space.
Up front, the Bruins can count on more production from Loui Eriksson, who missed a quarter of the year with concussion issues. Historically, Eriksson plays a full schedule and bangs home 25-plus goals. The one position Boston has to nail down is backup goalie. Chad Johnson is a 28-year-old UFA who did a stellar job in the role last season, while seeing his first regular duty in the league. Retaining Johnson seems like a natural, but if he’s looking for long-term security the Bruins might balk with both Niklas Svedberg and Malcolm Subban in the system.
Possible signing targets
Mike Cammalleri (LW): Boston certainly doesn’t need to make a move this big, but if the B’s wanted to really ramp it up, they could insert another point-producer like Cammalleri in the top six.
Steve Bernier (RW): A big body who could offer some depth at the bottom of the forward food chain.
Cody McCormick (C): A younger version of Shawn Thornton; tough guy who won’t cost you playing on the fourth line.
