Your Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins look to back up their finals run and potentially the final ride with their captain Zdeno Chara. While it may be the last season “Big Z” laces them up the Bruins will look to send him out a champion.
Notable Players In: Par Lindholm, Brett Ritchie, Danton Heinen
Notable Players Out: Marcus Johansson, Noel Acciari
First Key Game: October 17th vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning
Odds to win the division
13:4 (3rd overall) (via Betway)
Is this a bet worth taking?
For the value? Yes, the Bruins should be fighting with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning for the top of the division. At the odds currently listed it would be a nice longshot for a sizeable return.
Keys To The Season
Story to watch
When will Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo sign? While McAvoy is ineligible for an offer sheet due to the CBA (thank you Capfriendly) Carlo is eligible. While Carlo won’t draw an offer sheet this late into the summer the right side of Boston’s defense would be decimated until they both sign and the early season schedule would be even tougher on the B’s.
Player to watch
When the Bruins acquired Coyle from the Minnesota Wild, there was hope, and in the playoffs, Coyle repaid the Bruins’ faith. Appearing in 24 games during the postseason and recording nine goals and seven assists, the versatile forward showed his post-acquisition numbers two goals and four assists in 21 games were him just getting his legs under him with a new team. For the Bruins to have success this coming season they will need production away from their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak and Coyle will be a crucial cog in that.
Biggest need
A hot start from Tuukka Rask. With young defenders and an aging captain combined with the uncertainty of Carlo and McAvoy, the Finnish netminder will need to be stable in his crease.
While posting a .912 save percentage during the regular season, it will take at least that for the Bruins to have a chance in their competitive division with the potential for goaltender duals in his division with Carey Price, Frederik Andersen, Sergei Bobrovsky, and reigning Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.
If the Boston Bruins were an animal, what would they be?
A hedgehog. While the Bruins top line and top pairing can stick you 100 ways, their underbelly looks a bit soft and could be exposed this season.