A number of storylines have come out of the 2022-23 season for the Boston Bruins. One was the variety of gamers who had good seasons below first-year head coach Jim Montgomery. In just a few instances, these have been productive seasons that few noticed coming.
Because the NHL schedule shifts to the 2023-24 season, some members of the Black and Gold should be watched intently to see if they’ll show final season wasn’t a fluke. Listed below are three Bruins with probably the most to show this coming season.
Thirty Frederick
Restricted Free Agent (RFA), Trent Frederic remains to be ready to see what his contract will appear like for subsequent season. He has an arbitration listening to scheduled for August 1 and it’s doable that Chief Govt Officer (GM) Don Sweeney and Frederic have reached an settlement earlier than the listening to. In any other case, the listening to will decide what his contract will appear like and until one thing unusual occurs, he’ll possible return to the workforce that drafted him twenty ninth total within the 2016 draft.
In his first two seasons below former supervisor Bruce Cassidy, Frederic struggled between discovering consistency and ending up within the penalty space taking ill-advised penalties. Every little thing modified below Montgomery and it is secure to say the previous College of Wisconsin standout discovered consistency in his play that led to a really profitable season. He set profession highs in targets (17), assists (14) and factors (31), and much more impressively, he completed with a plus/minus plus-28 enjoying within the final six. Within the playoffs, he struggled within the playoffs in opposition to the Florida Panthers, going 5 video games with out scoring a degree.
Frederic supplies versatility for the Bruins since his fundamental place is at heart, however he spent the vast majority of his time in Boston on the wing. He is discovered a connection the final two seasons with Charlie Coyle on the third line and he appears snug there, however whether or not that is the place he sits stays to be seen, however he has lots to show this season that final season wasn’t a fluke.
Jake DeBrusk
The previous yr and a half has been one of the best hockey streak Jake DeBrusk has performed within the NHL. Struggling below Cassidy, DeBrusk requested a commerce early within the 2021-22 season, however Sweeney didn’t honor it and retained the 14th total choose of the 2015 draft. Simply earlier than the commerce deadline in March 2022, the Bruins signed him to a two-year extension for $8 million with a median annual worth of $4 million. Since then, the Edmonton, Alta. native has earned each greenback after canceling his commerce request in July 2022.
After thriving in February 2022 after being moved to the primary line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, Montgomery entered his first season behind the Boston bench with the motto “If it ain’t broke, do not repair it.” He left DeBrusk on the entrance line and he stepped up in all areas of his sport once more. He matched his career-high 27 targets with 23 assists and a career-high 50 factors. The 26-year-old would greater than possible have set a profession excessive had he not suffered an damage in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins within the Winter Traditional at Fenway Park on Jan. 2, which pressured him to overlook almost six weeks. Within the playoffs, he scored 4 targets and 6 factors in opposition to the Panthers, whereas he turned a strong common season and playoff penalty killer.
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He is been the topic of commerce rumors this offseason, nevertheless it’s within the Bruins’ curiosity to maintain him. He is getting into a contract season and normally that is if you get probably the most out of gamers like DeBrusk. If issues do not work out, he might be moved nearer to the commerce deadline, however in a contract season he nonetheless has one thing to show that final season wasn’t only a one-year success story.
Kevin Shattenkirk
Because the season progressed and with the Bruins’ cap scenario this offseason, it turned clear that Conor Clifton was enjoying out of Boston. That got here true on the primary day of free company when he acquired a serious $1 million AAV improve he wore final season when he signed with the Buffalo Sabers for 3 years with a $3.33 million AAV. It was nicely outdoors the Black and Gold vary and Sweeney shortly turned his consideration to a veteran to interchange Clifton.
Boston signed Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1 million deal to fill the third duo on the precise facet. He performed 891 profession regular-season video games, however after stints with the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, his final cease with the Anaheim Geese was one the place he performed nicely on a workforce caught in the course of a rebuild. His offensive numbers have elevated over the previous two seasons with 12 targets and 50 assists, however coming to the Bruins, he will not be counted on to fill the scoresheet. Final season, he averaged 19:10 an evening for the Geese.
he blocked 115 pictures final season in 75 video games and had 79 hits, two numbers decrease than Clifton who blocked 120 pictures and had 208 hits averaging 17:51 in 78 common season video games. Clifton has change into a fan favourite in Boston and has taken an enormous leap ahead in his profession and would have been an ideal long-term resolution on protection, however cash acquired in the best way and now Shattenkirk on a shorter, cheaper deal might be requested to interchange the previous Quinnipiac College star. This might very nicely be among the finest offers of the offseason for Sweeney, however the veteran defenseman has to show it.
With some roster modifications, the Bruins are going to want gamers to show that final season wasn’t a fluke with Boston, or that they’ll substitute a key a part of the protection misplaced in free company. They are going to want everybody on deck in 2023-24.
