After the Boston Bruins were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators from the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it begs the question as to what is their next move. The team was able to make their first appearance in the playoffs since 2014, but also snuck into the postseason on the last week of the season. Will the Bruins make a push for the top of the Eastern Conference, or further their push towards a youth movement? Let’s look at the state of the Bruins:
Free Agents:
Unrestricted Free Agents – Drew Stafford (LW/RW), Dominic Moore (C), John-Michael Liles (D)
Restricted Free Agents – Ryan Spooner (C), David Pastrnak (RW), Noel Acciari (C), Tim Schaller (C), Joe Morrow (D)
The main focus for the Bruins will be to address the challenging RFA contracts that lie ahead. David Pastrnak just scored 34 goals as a 20-year-old and is clearly a budding superstar in this league. Noel Acciari and Tim Schaller had breakthrough years on the fourth line and could patrol that role for some time.
Ryan Spooner may be the wild card here. Spooner is a very talented forward, and at 25 years old, has 117 points in 214 career games. However, he has begun to fall out of favor with both former coach Claude Julien and current coach Bruce Cassidy. Spooner could be a compelling trade candidate for the Bruins, as they need to replenish the picks used to acquire Liles and former Bruin Lee Stempniak.
As for the UFA’s, both Stafford and Moore had nice seasons for the Bruins and have the potential to be retained on short-term deals. For Liles, it could be the end of his two-year run with the team, as the 36-year-old will likely give way to a young defenseman in the organization.
Expansion Draft Losses?
What makes this offseason unique is the potential for all teams to lose players to the new NHL franchise, Las Vegas Golden Knights in an expansion draft. The expectation is that teams will expose a combination of young players that do not have a clear path to their respective teams and veterans on contracts that are undesirable. Some players that could be on the chopping block
Some players that could be on the chopping block include Matt Beleskey (LW), Jimmy Hayes (RW), Riley Nash (RW), Adam McQuaid (D), Kevan Miller (D), and Anton Khudobin (G). It is extremely likely that a couple of these players will be playing in Las Vegas next season. Although, the most likely candidates could be McQuaid and Hayes.
Hayes played with the Florida Panthers under current Golden Knights head coach Gerrad Gallant, and a reunion could be in order. McQuaid would be a compelling second or third line defenseman for Vegas, and on a fairly reasonable $2.75 million per year contract for the next two seasons. Expect a number of surprising moves before and during the expansion draft season.
Bring On The Kids:
The biggest takeaway from the playoffs is the tremendous play of rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who made his NHL debut in Game 1 and played a significant role opposite Zdeno Chara. With the potential loss of two defensemen (Liles/McQuaid) and some third and fourth line wingers, the kids will continue to force the issue.
Rookie centres Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson and Austin Czarnik will play big roles next season, as well as playoff sensation Sean Kuraly, and perhaps even former 2015 first round pick Jake DeBrusk, who tore up the AHL with the Providence Bruins in his first season (49 points in 74 games).
Finally, keep a watchful eye out on the other players from the 2015 class, including first rounders Zach Senyshen, Jakub Zboril, and second rounder Jeremy Lauzon. Do not forget Boston could also sign talented Notre Dame winger Anders Bjork, a former fifth-round pick.
Future Expectations:
Expect the Bruins to be busy with their own, and possibly reshape a third line that has tremendous issues and a lack of consistency. With the kids coming in soon, the Bruins may not improve on much next season. But expectations should be extremely high in the coming years. Bruce Cassidy has this team playing with a purpose and could lead the team back to the playoffs once again.
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