Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Why Morgan Geekie could be a potential breakout candidate for Bruins in 2023-24
“I'm excited where my game is, and I'm excited where it can get to and where I can grow."
It remains to be seen where exactly Morgan Geekie will settle into the Bruins’ lineup this fall.
A big-bodied center (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) with strong returns at the faceoff dot (51.1 career FO%), Geekie can also shift over the wing as a bruising force on the forecheck.
But wherever the 24-year-old forward lands on his new team, it feels like a given that more reps will be on the way.
“I think I can contribute with a little more minutes than I had previously,” Geekie said Wednesday via Zoom when asked of his role with Boston. “But however I get those minutes, I’m not picky. I’m just going to come in and help the team and obviously the staff and the organization will make those calls.”
Advertisement:
Boston signed Geekie to a two-year contract on Saturday after the versatile forward spent the previous two seasons with the Kraken.
Etched into a fourth-line role on a Seattle roster with plenty of depth down the middle, Geekie posted 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) over 69 games out west.
Boston will welcome a similar stat line further down their lineup, especially given his affordable $2 million AAV.
But the Bruins are likely banking on even greater offensive returns for Geekie in 2023-24, given the quality — not quantity — of his minutes with the NHL’s 32nd franchise.
Geekie’s 28 points represented a career-high for the young forward, and it was accomplished while averaging just 10:27 of ice time per game.
Advertisement:
That’s far below other bottom-six stalwarts on Boston’s 2022-23 roster like Garnet Hathaway (11:04 ATOI), Trent Frederic (11:55), and Nick Foligno (12:22).
In total, there were 593 NHL skaters who logged at least 500 minutes of 5v5 ice time last season. According to Natural Stat Trick, Geekie’s 2.47 5v5 points per 60 minutes of play ranked 31st in the league — ahead of names like Clayton Keller (2.46), Jack Eichel (2.45), Leon Draisaitl (2.41), Alex Ovechkin (2.31), and Matty Beniers (2.21).
Of course, that doesn’t signal that a 60-campaign is destined for Geekie if he ticks another two or three minutes into his workload each night moving forward.
But Boston is hoping that Pavel Zacha’s success (28th in 5v5 points per 60 at 2.52) in a featured role last season serves as a template that Geekie follows in his first foray with the Bruins.
“I think for me, just with a little bit more of an expanded role and a few more minutes, I think I can get into more of a rhythm and kind of grow into myself,” Geekie said. “Just be the player that I know I can be in and help the team in the best way that I can.”
Advertisement:
Geekie’s spot in the lineup might revolve around whether or not Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci opt to hang up their skates this summer.
If Charlie Coyle is pressed into Boston’s top-six unit, the keys to Boston’s third-line center spot might fall to Geekie. But if Coyle sticks in his usual pivot perch, the veteran will welcome a linemate like Geekie on his puck-possession forward grouping.
“I gained a lot of confidence,” Geekie said of his last season in Seattle. “I’m excited where my game is, and I’m excited where it can get to and where I can grow. So I’m looking forward to next season.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com