Bruins Opening Evening lineup projection 1.0: Blue line in nice form

Bruins Opening Night lineup projection 1.0: Blue line in great shape initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have constructed a tall, massive and powerful roster coming into the 2024-25 NHL season, and nowhere is that extra evident than the blue line.

Listed here are the listed heights and weights for the seven defensemen projected to be within the combine for an Opening Evening roster spot:

• Charlie McAvoy: 6-foot-1, 209 kilos

• Nikita Zadorov: 6-foot-6, 248 kilos

• Brandon Carlo: 6-foot-5, 217 kilos

• Hampus Lindholm: 6-foot-4, 224 kilos

• Mason Lohrei: 6-foot-5, 211 kilos

• Andrew Peeke: 6-foot-3, 214 kilos

• Parker Wotherspoon: 6-foot-1, 195 kilos

“I believe any time you may have a protection that is massive but additionally can skate — I believe that is our largest power. We’ve guys that may actually transfer on the market,” Hampus Lindholm told reporters Tuesday.

“I believe if you wish to be good on this league as a d-man, you need to be cellular and good in your skates. Fortunately, we now have a variety of power on our defensive corps proper now.”

The Bruins’ spectacular mixture of measurement, power and skating skill on the again finish ought to make them a more durable crew to play in opposition to, notably within the playoffs. The addition of Zadorov in free agency added loads of truculence to the group. He isn’t afraid to showcase his toughness, whether or not it is allotting an enormous hit, blocking a shot or clearing visitors from the entrance of the web.

This is my first projection for the Bruins’ Opening Evening lineup, with the caveat that loads may change between now and the Oct. 8 opener versus the Florida Panthers.

Forwards

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The primary line of Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak has a variety of potential. Lindholm has been unavailable over the previous few days with an undisclosed harm. Head coach Jim Montgomery informed reporters Tuesday that Lindholm is taken into account “everyday.”

“I do not assume they’re going to be any drawback discovering chemistry with Lindy. He is very good. He has a excessive hockey IQ,” Pastrnak told reporters after practice last Friday.

The remainder of the strains may go in a a number of totally different instructions. We all know Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle will likely be reunited on the second line, however who will play proper wing with them? It is one of the most fascinating roster battles in camp.

Matthew Poitras performed effectively within the Black and Gold recreation in Windfall final week. Ideally, he would play middle, however his skill to attain and arrange scoring probabilities for linemates make him a proper wing candidate, too.

Prime prospects Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov both struggled in the preseason opener versus the Rangers. Lysell had zero factors, zero photographs and two turnovers. He made nearly no affect. Merkulov additionally was fairly quiet, however he did choose up a secondary help.

Each gamers carried out a lot better Tuesday evening in opposition to the Washington Capitals. Lysell scored a power-play objective, drew two penalties, was rather more engaged bodily and tallied three scoring probabilities in 17:34 of ice time. Merkulov performed effectively, too, tallying one other help and two photographs. It was a robust bounce-back effort from each gamers.

“I felt far more clean on the market,” Lysell told reporters postgame Tuesday. “Higher timing. Made higher selections with the puck. So, throughout a greater recreation.”

Morgan Geekie is one other potential candidate for second-line proper wing. He performs the form of hard-nosed, bodily recreation that Marchand and Coyle excel at. Geekie produced a career-high 17 targets final season and will hit the 20-goal mark if given an prolonged run with Marchand and Coyle in a top-six function.

It is nonetheless early to make sturdy predictions for this second-line proper wing spot. There are too many preseason video games and practices left earlier than Opening Evening. However Lysell positively took a constructive step together with his efficiency versus the Capitals. The important thing for him is taking part in at that degree (or near it) on a constant foundation.

The underside-six could be very a lot a piece in progress. A whole lot of these gamers –including Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Tyler Johnson and Trent Frederic, amongst others — can all play middle or on the wing. This degree of versatility is a big plus for Montgomery. He has many alternative potential combos to contemplate consequently. Max Jones could possibly be within the combine, too, however he is at present out of the lineup with an undisclosed harm.

Defensemen

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Whereas there are nonetheless loads of questions up entrance, the blue line must be fairly set, barring an harm.

Newcomer Nikita Zadorov must be a very good match with Charlie McAvoy. They’ve had loads of reps collectively in follow, however constructing chemistry between two guys with zero earlier expertise taking part in collectively takes time.

“Simply received to make a pair changes to play with a defenseman on the degree of a skater he’s, you need to know what you are doing in conditions to create extra alternatives for him to leap up within the rush and make one thing (occur) offensively, after which keep behind him to assist him defensively,” Zadorov told NESN’s Judd Sirott last weekend.

“You undergo the reps and you will get used to it. Clearly, it takes a while to construct some chemistry, however we’re making an attempt. We’re speaking loads concerning the performs we’re doing and concerning the system. I believe up to now, so good.”

The second pairing is self-explanatory. Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo have performed a whopping 1382:49 of even-strength ice time collectively for the reason that Swedish defenseman was acquired by the B’s earlier than the 2022 commerce deadline, per Natural Stat Trick. Throughout these minutes, the Bruins have outscored opponents 71-46 with a plus-27 edge in scoring probabilities.

“We’re two massive guys who can each skate. I do not assume guys prefer to play in opposition to us due to these two elements,” Lindholm told reporters Tuesday. “Carlo, you recognize what you get out of him — he is a giant, sturdy, sturdy man. That is the place I can lean on him and attempt to create much more offense as a result of I all the time know the place he’s.”

The Bruins want extra offensive manufacturing from their blue line this season. Lindholm, particularly, has to play a job in that enchancment. He tallied a career-high 53 factors within the 2022-23 marketing campaign, however that whole dropped to simply 26 factors final season. Lindholm must be a 40-point participant, at the very least, if he is wholesome.

The third pairing seemingly will likely be Mason Lohrei and Andrew Peeke. Lohrei had a very good rookie season, together with a couple impressive moments in the playoffs the place he scored targets and regarded very assured with the puck on his stick. He nonetheless has loads of room to develop defensively, however the crew must be pleased with the trajectory of his improvement up to now. Peeke has exceeded expectations so far after being a commerce deadline acquisition final season. He is a very good penalty killer, performs bodily and has an underrated offensive talent set. Peeke regarded extra snug in Boston than he did in Columbus, and he is nonetheless solely 26 years outdated.

Goaltenders

• Joonas Korpisalo

• Brandon Bussi

It goes with out saying that Jeremy Swayman would be the No. 1 goalie when he and the Bruins finalize a contract. However since he’s currently unsigned, we’ll depart him out of this projection.

Who can be the most suitable choice to start out between the pipes if Swayman is not out there to start the common season?

Korpisalo makes essentially the most sense. The Finnish netminder made his NHL debut in 2015 and has began 250 video games over 9 years. He made a career-high 49 begins for the Senators final season. Korpisalo’s stats have been fairly dangerous for the Senators — 21-26-4, .890 save proportion, 3.27 GAA — however he has been a reliable goalie at occasions in his profession, most not too long ago within the 2022-23 marketing campaign when he posted a .916 save proportion between stints with the Blue Jackets and Kings.

Korpisalo additionally performed effectively Tuesday in opposition to the Capitals, stopping all seven photographs despatched his method in just below half-hour of motion.

Bussi is an thrilling prospect with spectacular measurement and athleticism. He additionally has zero NHL expertise, and it might be asking a variety of him to open the season in opposition to the defending Stanley Cup champs on the highway. Bussi did not play effectively within the preseason opener versus the New York Rangers. He gave up two targets on 12 photographs, in addition to a pair juicy rebounds.

There are nonetheless 5 extra preseason matchups and a number of other practices left for Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa and the remainder of the workers to judge these netminders. However proper now, Korpisalo ought to have the sting within the No. 1 spot whereas Swayman is not signed.