THW Boston Bruins Substack - Sept. 7, 2023
Welcome to the THW Boston Bruins Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Bruins writers.
In today’s edition, we have player projections for Pastrnak and Zacha, the latest news and rumors from Boston, the competition for the Bruins’ third pair, and predictions for the Bruins lineup.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Boston Bruins’ 2023-24 Player Projections: David Pastrnak
September 6, 2023 by Justin Caron
With time winding down until the Boston Bruins open the 2023-24 season, their roster is taking shape after undergoing many changes over the summer. As part of looking ahead to the coming NHL season, we’ll look at the Bruins’ roster and see what we can expect from them during the upcoming campaign.
Today, we look at David Pastrnak, who will be looking to follow up on an explosive performance last season. He joined the legendary Hall of Famer Phil Esposito as the only two Bruins players to score 60-plus goals in a season. While the achievement is rare, Esposito hit the mark four times during his illustrious career. The lingering question entering the upcoming season is whether Pastrnak can reach the mark for a second consecutive season.
Bruins News & Rumors: Heinen, Marchand, Coyle & More
September 6, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, old friend Danton Heinen has secured a professional tryout (PTO) contract from the Bruins. In other news, Brad Marchand spoke with reporters about the prospect of becoming the Bruins’ next captain. Meanwhile, Charlie Coyle weighed in on what it was like at captains practice without Patrice Bergeron. Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s Bruins News & Rumors column.
Bruins’ Success in 2023-24 Hinges on Zacha & Coyle
September 6, 2023 by Scott Roche
For the first time in a long time, the Boston Bruins will begin a season without the services of Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci at center. It’s not the first time that they will be missing Krejci after he returned to his home country of Czechia following the 2020-21 season to continue his career overseas.
Losing both centers is a huge loss and trying to replace it is going to be very difficult for the Bruins and second-year coach Jim Montgomery. Unless general manager (GM) Don Sweeney makes a trade before training camp on Sept. 20 at Warrior Ice Arena, the two likely candidates to replace the future Hall of Famers are Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle. In the overall big picture, how much success the Black and Gold have this season will rely on those two filling holes of their former teammates at the top of the lineup.
Bruins Third Defense Pairing Competition
September 5, 2023 by Brandon Share-Cohen
The Boston Bruins will have an entirely new-look lineup in the 2023-24 season. It’s not that hyperbolic to say this is one of the most transformative and impactful offseasons the team has had in their 100-year history given the major turnover, including the departures of captain Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, Connor Clifton, Tyler Bertuzzi, Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov.
On one hand, the top four will still feature Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk, a formidable group that ranks among the NHL’s best top two pairings. It makes sense, then, that there wouldn’t be nearly as much discussion about the Bruins’ blue line. Nevertheless, there should be a distinct focus on the Bruins’ third defensive pairing.
Boston Bruins’ 2023-24 Player Projections: Pavel Zacha
September 5, 2023 by Justin Caron
With time winding down until the Boston Bruins open the 2023-24 season, their roster is taking shape after undergoing many changes over the summer. As part of looking ahead to the coming NHL season, we’ll look at the Bruins’ roster and see what we can expect from them during the upcoming campaign.
Today, we look at the Bruins’ forward group, starting at the center position with Pavel Zacha. After debuting with the Black and Gold last season, he fit in seamlessly with the Bruins. The fact that head coach Jim Montogomery placed him on a line with fellow Czech natives David Pastrnak and David Krejci also helped, as the line provided plenty of offense throughout the season.
Boston Bruins 2023-24 Opening Night Lineup Predictions
September 5, 2023 by Scott Roche
There are going to be some familiar faces ascending at Warrior Ice Arena for the start of training camp this month for the Boston Bruins. There will also be some faces missing after Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired, Connor Clifton left in free agency and Taylor Hall was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. To offset those losses, general manager (GM) Don Sweeney brought in some new players in free agency to what he hopes lessens the blow of the loss of some big names.
Just how second-year coach Jim Montgomery goes about filling out his lineup will depend on how training camp goes. Boston would like to get some youth into the 2023-24 lineup, but with veterans coming in free agency, it’s hard to see how that can happen. It’s not impossible. As camp begins on Sept. 20, here is this writer’s prediction as to what the lineup will look like on Opening Night against the Blackhawks at the TD Garden on Oct. 11.
