Bruins offseason outlook

[yave1964]

2016-17 A QUICK LOOK BACK: 

 The Bruins were coming off a couple straight years where they missed the playoffs in the waning days and the coach, Claude Julien was on thin ice, the fans were restless and the whole city was tired of it. They started slow, halfway through the year they fired Julien and hired Bruce Cassidy and caught fire. They coasted down the stretch but still managed to hold off a crowded field and make the playoffs. It did not last long however as the Senators made quick work of the Bruins in six games.

 

  Lots of plusses to build around, young defenseman Branden Carlo was wonderful and Charlie McAvoy joined the blueline in time for the postseason and looked very good, Torry Krug was wonderful as a Power play QB, the trio gives the Bears something to build on as Chara looks to have hit the wall. 

  Brad Marchand was among the short list of best forwards in all of Hockey this year, Patrice Bergeron started slow but finished strong, David Pastrnak in his first full season potted 34 goals, David Krejci was his usual solid self. Tuuka Rask bounced back from a down year, sparkled all year in net.

  On the down side, Chara looks like a pylon out there, Matt Belesky and midseason addition Drew Stafford were shells of their former selves. Jimmy Hayes continues to be a bust in Beantown, David Backes who came over from the Blues struggled to find his role. Ryan Spooner was a non entity most of the year.

 

FREE AGENTS:

Drew Stafford who came aboard for the stretch drive and was a zero is almost certainly gone.

Dominic Moore was solid as the 4C and there is a mutual interest in his return.

Zac Rinaldo has been bought out, in case anyone wants him he is yours.

John-Michael Liles is going to find a new home or retire.

 

Spare parts and loose change. Moore serves a valuable role, none of the others will be missed.

 

OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS:

 

 

1) WHO IS THE BACKUP GOALIE?

The most alarmingly bad play was the backup goalie, where a trio of non entities combined to go 7-14 with a goals against over 3.00 and a wretched save percentage, they were so awful that Rask played almost every game down the stretch and his numbers slipped l;ate from over use which a lot of pundits blame for their early ouster. A backup goalie is essential going forward, Rask shouldered too heavy of a load and was dragging late.

 

2) WHAT DOES MARCHAND DO FOR AN ENCORE?

Hate him or love him, he just keeps getting better and better. The leagues premier agitator has turned himself into one of the top handful of wings in the game. Can he keep it up? 80 points and 80 PIMs is a nice combo in todays game where both points and penalty minutes are down. Just a pleasure to watch-unless he is playing your team.

 

3) CAN THEY FIND SOME SECONDARY SCORING? 

The top four forwards (Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci, Bergeron) scored 117 goals between them, the other eighteen forwards who saw ice time COMBINED managed a pathetic 86 goals adding them all up together. In other words their top line plus Krejci provided 60 percent of the offense from their forwards. This simply cannot keep up if they are going to be taken serious. A team simply needs to put their strongest checking unit on the Marchand line and attempt to wear him down (admittedly easier said than done) until the Bruins prove that they can muster offense elsewhere. GM Don Sweeney insists that help is coming from within, McAvoy is the real deal on the back end but their forward prospects are led by contreversial draft picks Debrusk and Shenyshin who were both taken at least a round too early and both are struggling. Help may be arriving in the person of Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson who can play a little but it does not appear to be nearly enough. There are whispers that Krug may be on the market to improve the forwards. We will see.

 

  The Bruins are on the razors edge, they might make the playoffs, but if Marchand and/or Rask slipp back by ten percent they are almost certainly a lottery team.