Things look good in
Boston, where the Bruins gambled that having few players under contract
once the lockout ended would pay off and, at least on paper, look like
they won. While Bruins teams have looked good in the recent past
and still faltered, this team looks good...but could easily falter.
And now this: these
previews will appear, two a day, until the season starts on October 5th.
They will be put on-site by division, roughly in order of predicted
finish. Note that the rookies listed are only those most likely to make
the team, not necessarily ones who have already sewn up a spot, and surprises
always occur in training camp. The In/Out portion represents significant
players added and lost since the end of the 2003-04 season. And now, on
with the show...
In: Tom
Fitzgerald, Brad Isbister, Brian Leetch, Shawn McEachern, Alexei Zhamnov, Dave
Scatchard
Out: Sergei
Gonchar, Ted Donato, Mike Knuble, Martin Lapointe, Dan McGillis, Mikael
Nylander, Sean O’Donnell, Felix Potvin, Brian Rolston
Rookies:
Andrew Alberts, Milan Jurcina, Mark Stuart, Hannu Toivonen, Brad Boyes, Colton
Orr
Bruins GM
Mike O’Connell tried very hard to be in a position where, once the lockout
ended, he would have few players under contract and could sign a large number
of high-end free agents. While
O’Connell perhaps didn’t quite put the defense together he would’ve liked,
losing out on his bid to keep Sergei Gonchar, he did manage to sign a solid
group of forwards to complement his young core of star Joe Thornton, forwards
Sergei Samsonov and Patrice Bergeron, and defenseman Nick Boynton and
goaltender Andrew Raycroft.
Strengths:
1. The Bruins are as deep in terms of quality centers as any team in the
league. With returnees Thornton and
Travis Green complemented by the newly signed Zhamnov and Scatchard, the Bruins
have the luxury of playing Bergeron and rookie Brad Boyes on the wing. Collectively, Thornton, Scatchard and Green
are quite possibly the best group of faceoff men any team in the league can
boast of, while Zhamnov is not completely inept at faceoffs, and Bergeron have
proven a quick study in that area.
Championship teams are solid in the middle, and the Bruins have a very
nice group here.
2. Between
Raycroft and rookie Hannu Toivonen, the Bruins have a very young, very solid
goaltending duo that could last them a long time. Raycroft, of course, won the league’s Calder Trophy as rookie of
the year in 2003-04 and is just 25, while Toivonen, 21, was nothing short of
excellent in the AHL last season, posting a rather stunning 2.05 GAA and .932
save percentage in 54 games and leading Providence to two rather improbable
playoff upsets before the team bowed out in six to the eventual champions,
Philadelphia, in the semifinal. Both
could do with a little more NHL experience, and will probably make some
mistakes before the season's out, but should provide the Bruins with
solid goaltending for years to come.
Weaknesses:
1. While Boston’s set of forwards looks impressive, their defense looks a lot
less imposing than last season with the loss of O’Donnell, McGillis, and
Gonchar. Of particular concern is the
situation with Nick Boynton, who has yet to sign a contract with training camp well
underway and the Bruins already very near their stated budget goals without
Boynton’s salary in the mix. While few
are doubting Leetch can still play at 37, one has to wonder just how much ice
time he can reasonably be expected to play each night. Likewise for Jiri Slegr, who is little more
than a power play specialist at this point in his career, and Ian Moran, who
has never been more than a fifth or sixth guy.
That leaves hulking Hal Gill, who struggled mightily at times in
2003-04, Jonathan Girard, who hasn’t played in two years after nearly having
his career ended by a car crash, and depending on Boynton either one or two spots
for rookies Milan Jurcina, Andrew Alberts, and Mark Stuart. Jurcina, having already spent two full
seasons in the AHL, seems the likeliest candidate for full-time NHL duty,
considering the other two have just left US colleges. Stuart is probably the best prospect of the three, but the Bruins
can’t rush him if he isn't ready.
2.
Expectations are high in Boston, and justifiably so. For years, this team seemed on the cusp of being a real
contender, but unwilling to add what was perhaps just one or two pieces to
really push it over the top because of budgetary concerns. With owner Jeremy Jacobs having been very
vocal during the whole CBA mess, then getting everything he could want in a new
agreement, the first thing that’s going to turn the fans off is a continuation
of what many saw as Jacobs’ penny-pinching.
The second thing will be a losing squad. All the excuses are gone in Boston now, which can be a scary position to suddenly be in, and the fans will be
wanting results.
Don’t be
Surprised If: Thornton leads the league in points. Armed with a new three-year contract and the re-signing of one of
his favorite linemates in Glen Murray, Thornton’s also got some very nice
support at center and the makings of a solid power play if Leetch stays
healthy. Not only that, but he has
something to prove to Bruins fans who pointed fingers at him for the team’s
playoff loss in 2004, despite the fact he played with a serious rib
injury. Thornton could have a monster
season.
Outlook:
Ottawa and perhaps Montreal will challenge for it, but the division title is
Boston’s to lose. This team will likely
compete with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay for the conference title as well. If the playoffs roll around and the Bruins
haven’t added a top four defenseman, however, their post-season hopes could be
dashed fairly quickly.
Centres: 1. Joe Thornton
2. Alexei Zhamnov
3. Dave Scatchard 4. Brad Boyes 5. Travis
Green
Wingers: 1. Glen Murray
2. Sergei Samsonov 3. Patrice Bergeron 4. Shawn McEachern
5. Brad Isbister 6. P.J. Axelsson 7. Tom Fitzgerald
8. Eric Nikulas 9. Colton Orr 10. Nate Robinson
Defensemen: 1. Brian Leetch
2. Jiri Slegr 3. Jonathan Girard 4. Hal
Gill 5. Ian Moran
6. Mark Stuart 7. Milan Jurcina 8. Andrew Alberts
Goalies: 1. Andrew Raycroft 2. Hannu Toivonen
Restricted Free Agents: Nick Boynton (D), Andy Hilbert (C), Martin Samuelsson (W)