Bruins report card: Grading Boston past midway point of 2023-24 season
The Bruins currently sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 26-8-9 record.
The Bruins were expected to take a step back in 2023-24.
Of course, regression was to be expected after a season where Boston rewrote the record books with a 62-12-5 record last winter.
But after years of win-now moves conducted by Don Sweeney, it looked as though the bill was about to come due.
In total, Boston lost 80 goals and 210 total points this offseason. Both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired. A severe cap crunch prompted the Bruins to trade Taylor Hall, and let other key cogs like Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov leave in free agency.
But even with that talent drain, the Bruins are still entrenched near the top of the standings.
Just past the midway point of the 2023-24 season, the Bruins still find themselves first in the Eastern Conference with a 26-8-9 record. As of Tuesday night, only the Canucks (29-11-4) and Jets (29-10-4) have accrued more points than Boston.
With Boston now gearing up for a busy second-half stretch, let’s hand out some grades for the Bruins amid a surprising 2023-24 campaign.
Note: We’re limiting our list to Bruins players who have appeared in at least 15 games.
FORWARDS
David Pastrnak: A
Sure, you can complain about a shootout attempt if you want. But this team would be in rough shape without Pastrnak serving as its offensive spark. Even without Bergeron and Krejci setting him up, Pastrnak is on pace for 50 goals and a career-high 116 points this year. The star winger has factored into 42.9 percent of Boston’s goals.
Brad Marchand: A-
Boston’s new captain has been advertised as a top-six fixture and an accountable presence both on and off the ice. He’s currently on pace for 36 goals, which would be the most he’s scored in five seasons. It should come as little surprise that Boston rarely gets run out of the rink with Marchand at the helm.
Charlie Coyle: A-
So much for all of the concerns surrounding Boston’s pivot pipeline. The 31-year-old Coyle’s ascension from third-line center to top-six stalwart has been key to Boston’s success, with the Weymouth native on pace for a career-high 29 goals and 61 points this season. He also leads all Bruins forwards in shorthanded TOI per game (2:47) for a fifth-ranked PK unit.
Trent Frederic: B+
After a breakthrough 2022-23 season, the 25-year-old forward is on track for a career-best 25 tallies and 44 points this winter. Frederic already brings value to Boston thanks to his physicality and (largely underrated) defensive game, but he’s turning into a middle-six play driver with just about any forward grouping. Since 2020, the Bruins are 31-2-2 in games where Frederic lights the lamp.
James van Riemsdyk: B+
Signed to a one-year, $1 million contract last July, van Riemsdyk currently holds the third-best cost per point ($37,037) contract among all standard NHL deals this season. Brought in as a potential power-play specialist at the netfront, van Riemsdyk has 10 primary assists at 5v5 play — only 30 other NHLers have reached that same playmaking production so far in 2023-24.
Morgan Geekie: B
The 25-year-old forward posted 28 points with the Kraken last season despite averaging just 10:27 of ice time per game. With a surge in reps with Boston (15:20 ATOI) it should come as little surprise that Geekie is on pace for a career-best 15 goals and 38 points. Since returning from an upper-body injury in late November, Geekie has 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) in his last 25 games.
Danton Heinen: B
He’s cooled off as of late (one goal in 16 games), but Heinen’s versatility and cheap price tag ($775,000) make him a value add for Don Sweeney and the Bruins. Boston has outscored opponents, 21-11, during Heinen’s 434 minutes of 5v5 ice time this season.
Matt Poitras: B
As expected, the 19-year-old center has gone through his fair share of peaks and valleys in his first foray against NHL competition. But even with some bumps in the road at hockey’s highest level of competition, Poitras’ poise with the puck regularly stands out — even when it doesn’t reflect on the scoresheet.
Pavel Zacha: B-
After a scorching start as Boston’s second-line center (8 goals, 10 assists in 22 games), Zacha has just one tally and seven total points in his last 17 games. Seventeen Bruins on the roster boast a higher shots per 60 minutes rate at 5v5 play than Zacha (4.07).
Johnny Beecher: C+
With just 12.1 percent of his on-ice starts at 5v5 play set in the offensive zone, Beecher has been tasked with plenty of daunting defensive assignments as a rookie. But even with a few nights spent as a scratch, there’s a lot to like about the 22-year-old forward’s potential as a checking-line stalwart. He has contributed with five goals in 39 games this year, while also winning 53.9 percent of his faceoffs.
Jake DeBrusk: C
DeBrusk’s growth into a steady two-way player has allowed him to carve out a key role in Jim Montgomery’s system. He’s averaging 16:53 of ice time per night, and the Bruins have outscored teams, 25-13, during his 5v5 reps. But DeBrusk’s true value to this team wanes when he’s not lighting the lamp with regularity. A recent scoring surge (9 points in 11 games) offers hope that a second-half heater is in the cards.
Jakub Lauko: C
There’s a lot to like about Lauko’s game when he’s on — be it his willingness to drop the gloves, drawing penalties, and wreaking havoc on the forecheck. Still, the pugnacious winger needs to start contributing on the scoresheet (zero goals, three assists) to remain in the lineup.
Oskar Steen: C-
The 25-year-old has performed admirably this season as a pesky winger capable of landing welts on the forecheck. Much like Lauko, he needs to start contributing a bit more (one goal, zero assists) on a fourth line still looking for an identity.
DEFENSE
Brandon Carlo: A-
In a season where Boston’s defensive structure has been plagued by some uncharacteristic miscues, Carlo has been rock-solid as the Bruins’ most consistent blueliner. Even with just 19.5 percent of his on-ice starts at 5v5 play set in the offensive zone, Boston is outscoring teams, 30-18, in Carlo’s 625 minutes this year. Add in his work on the PK, and Carlo has been a key cog in Boston’s success this season.
Derek Forbort: B+
Forbort’s ability to eat pucks and snuff out scoring chances in shorthanded situations has been well-established. But one presumed flaw in his game (5v5 play) has also been a strength this year, with Boston only coughing up seven goals in Forbort’s 282 minutes of 5v5 reps. Forbort’s return from injury will be welcomed down the stretch this winter.
Charlie McAvoy: B+
The engine that makes Boston’s D corps go. Along with logging heavy minutes (24:41 ATOI), McAvoy is on pace for 11 goals and 55 points as the Bruins’ top QB on the power play. Despite some early D-zone hiccups next to his regular D-pair partner in Matt Grzelcyk, McAvoy has been playing some of his best hockey as of late — even though a four-game suspension in late October has lessened his propensity to land welts against opponents.
Parker Wotherspoon: B
He may not be flashy, but Wotherspoon filled in admirably for Forbort as a third-pairing regular who can protect the netfront and contribute on the penalty kill. If Boston gets healthy, Wotherspoon could be an appealing candidate as the team’s seventh D.
Kevin Shattenkirk: B-
Even with some early growing pains in Montgomery’s system, Shattenkirk has been as advertised as a playmaking D-man (5 goals, 12 points), especially given his $1.05 million cap hit. He could warrant more time on the power play thanks to his ability to consistently hit the net with his booming shot from the blue line.
Hampus Lindholm: C+
Much like Carlo, Lindholm has been handed plenty of taxing D-zone reps this season. But the 29-year-old blueliner’s poise and assertiveness with the puck that was put on display last season has been lacking at times in 2023-24. It was to be expected for there to be some offensive regression (one goal, 13 assists) after posting 53 points last season, but the lapses in his stout D-zone play and penalty woes (18 already this season) have been surprising.
Mason Lohrei: C
There’s a lot to like about Lohrei’s potential as a top-four fixture in Boston in the coming years thanks to his playmaking ability and 6-foot-5 frame. But his D-zone play remains a work in progress, with Boston outscored by opponents, 21-16, in his 391 minutes of 5v5 reps.
Matt Grzelcyk: C-
He’s had his detractors over the years, but Grzelcyk has largely been a net positive during regular-season play thanks to his crisp transition game. But several injuries have hampered his game this season, with his reps with McAvoy leading to lackluster results (Boston only outscoring teams, 8-7). He has five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in his last nine games.
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman: A
Swayman has taken another step forward this season, ranking fourth among eligible goalies (min. 1,000 minutes) with 12.59 goals saved above average (GSAA). Only four other goalies across the NHL have the same number of shutouts as Swayman (3). He’s setting himself up for a sizable pay raise this offseason.
Linus Ullmark: A-
A seven-game lull (3-3-1, .889 save percentage) put a slight dent in his stat line, but Ullmark is still playing at a high level in his third season with Boston. His GSAA of 7.67 ranks eighth among NHL netminders, while his .842 save percentage on high-danger shots ranks sixth overall.
COACHING/GM
Jim Montgomery: B+
He’s been prone to putting his lines into a blender this season, but Montgomery has largely pushed the right buttons on an overhauled roster featuring an influx of rookies and new faces. His commitment to a goalie rotation has yielded strong returns this year. The real test will come in April.
Don Sweeney: A-
Sweeney and Boston’s front office had just $13.6 million in projected cap space last offseason to sign seven forwards, re-up a goalie on a new deal, account for the potential loss of two top-six centermen and deal with several other roster tweaks. All things considered, Boston’s “Moneyball” approach has resulted in several key value additions and flexibility for the future.
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