Boston Bruins 2021-22 season preview: New faces won't change Bruins
BOSTON — Spaghetti tycoon David Pastrnak notwithstanding, the Boston Bruins cannot possibly have the same sauce without David Krejci, can they? And the body of work doesn't yet exist to certify the swagger with which Jeremy Swayman seals the net.
So on exactly what premise can Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand bank on another shot at glory before all the sand runs through their hourglass?
Just before the puck drops on the Bruins' 2021-22 NHL season with Saturday night's opener against old friend Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars (7 p.m., NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub), the home team will introduce a new goalie, a new defenseman and at least three new forwards.
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Not all of the offseason change was precipitated by Krejci's decision after 14 years in Boston to play out the string in his native Czech Republic or unsigned goaltender Tuukka Rask's ongoing rehab from labrum surgery.
Half of the roster that went to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup is but a memory, and General Manager Don Sweeney's last two tries at equipping the franchise to take the ultimate step have ended with second-round playoff ousters against more physical, harder opponents.
The mantra out of training camp in Brighton remains: Surround the core guys with the best and most-driven, goal-oriented players possible.
"We committed to Taylor (Hall) because he wanted to be part of this," said Sweeney, who re-signed the former NHL MVP to a four-year, $24 million contract. "Regardless of whether Krejci was going to be here, (Hall) wasn't concerned with it. He enjoyed playing with him and thinks the world of him, but he wasn't concerned.
"Ultimately, you're just trying to win. You try and surround the guys that you know can win, have won, with good players that are equally motivated."
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So in keeping with his Swiss Army Knife vision for playoff hockey, Sweeney tried this offseason to complement Hall not only with talent but focus on the same goal. To that end, Swiss journeyman Erik Haula is next man up as second-line center by committee should things not work out in that role for Charlie Coyle.
Prospect Jack Studnicka, who is being groomed for the job, showed significant progress in camp but not enough to overcome the leverage of salary-cap and waiver-wire rules that allow Sweeney to send him back to AHL Providence for more seasoning while the big club goes on a fact-finding mission at a critical position.
Outmuscled by the Islanders in June, the Bruins hope that former Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno and 6-foot-4, 215-pound, left-shot defenseman Derek Forbort add an impactful physical presence at their respective ends of the rink.
Before highlighting specific changes from last season's roster to this season's, note that since losing the 2019 Stanley Cup to St. Louis the following players all became Bruins and are already onto other teams: Anders Bjork, Ryan Donato, Ondrej Kase, Jeremy Lauzon, Par Lindholm, Nick Ritchie, Jared Tinordi, and Dan Vladar.
"I think a lot of it has to do with (salary) cap," said Bruins president Cam Neely, identifying two components. "When you've got certain players that are coming up (on the end of their contracts) that have had success, you've got to try to figure out how to make everybody fit.
"And, if you don't win, you've got to look at your roster and say, 'OK, where can we improve?' Those two things combined, especially lately with the flat-cap environment, you try not to get yourself in a situation where you may overpay for players that you think that you can maybe ... find in the organization or find somewhere else. But unfortunately it's the nature of the beast."
FIVE GOODBYES
David Krejci: The silky-mitts centerman wants his kids to learn his native Czech language and decided age 35 is enough NHL for him. The Bruins have not written off a Krejci return, but he would have to decide soon.
Tuukka Rask/Jaro Halak: A successful rehab from labrum surgery might not bring Rask back if Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are getting the job done in net. Once management preferred Swayman as Rask's 2021 playoff backup, Halak signed with Vancouver.
Sean Kuraly: A free agent whose last two seasons were uninspiring, Kuraly has taken his hard-skating, chaos-causing forecheck to his hometown Blue Jackets.
Kevan Miller/Jeremy Lauzon: Two roughouse defensemen the Bruins will sorely miss. Plagued by injuries, Miller retired. Lauzon was made the very first choice of the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.
Nick Ritchie/Ondrej Kase: Bruins management walked away from both wingers whose contracts were up but whose rights were owned by Boston. Kase's health crippled his career here; Ritchie somehow managed to turn off management while scoring 15 goals in a shortened season. Both are now with Toronto.
FIVE NEW FACES
Nick Foligno, 33, C-W: The son of hated rival Mike and brother of Marcus will turn 34 on Halloween. Still tough as nails and bleeds character and leadership. Signed in Boston for two years at $3.8 million per.
Derek Forbort, 29, LD: For three years at a $3 million cap hit, the 6-4, 219 pound left-shot defenseman could patch up a very significant matchup problem.
Erik Haula, 30, C-W: A depth player on the original Vegas team that reached the 2018 Stanley Cup final, Haula injured his knee and has since bounced around the league like a golf ball that hits the cart path.
Thomas Nosek, 29, C-LW: Another ex-Golden Knight, Nosek isn't as quick as the departed Sean Kuraly, but he'll bring more muscle and resolution to the role of fourth line anchor.
Linus Ullmark, 28, G: A big goalie (6-4, 215) who put up a .917 GAA and a 2.63 save percentage behind a bad Buffalo team, Ullmark signed a four-year, $20 million deal with the Bruins.
FIVE X-FACTORS
BIG 2 OR 3? If left-shooting defenseman Derek Forbort can match-up against the heavy opponents, then the Bruins can contend without two elite centermen. The two strengths don't sound related, but every modern-era Cup champion has had one or the other.
2NDARY SCORING: Which brings us to Charlie Coyle, the powerful homegrown skater and puck protector who will start the season slotting between Taylor Hall and Craig Smith.
RUSTY CAGE: Linus Ullmark's preseason was so-so, while Jeremy Swayman's was very solid. What happens starting Saturday night will determine what happens if and when Tuukka Rask knocks on the door.
FREDDY FOCUS: Trent Frederic started the 2021 season with a bang that didn't last. GM Don Sweeney says Frederic has his mojo back and playing more on instinct.
REBOOT
The official diagnosis on Jake DeBrusk is young single guy shut off by the pandemic to the rest of the world struggled with 5-9-14 totals in 41GP. Better mental health is hopefully ahead for the fleet-footed left winger.