Preview of the biggest roster battle of Bruins training camp Originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The battle for the number 1 spot at the Boston Bruins training camp He will likely fill the second-line right wing spot alongside left winger Brad Marchand and center Charlie Coyle.
After losing wingers Jake van Riemsdyk, Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk to free agency in the offseason, the Bruins are a bit thin on the wing, especially on the right side. Van Riemsdyk, Heinen and DeBrusk weren’t the most consistent offensive producers last year, but they did score 11 goals, 17 goals and 19 goals, respectively. That’s just under 18 percent of the Bruins’ 264 goals scored in the 2023-24 regular season.
The Bruins selected Elias Lindholm, their big acquisition up front. The top-six center signed a seven-year contract for 54.25 million dollars the first day of free agency. It was a Big move for the Bruinsbut it also meant the team would likely have to fill the second-string right winger spot from within.
DeBrusk played with Coyle and Marchand more than any other winger last season. He played 306 minutes at 5-on-5 with the veteran duo. by natural statistics trickand the B’s outscored their opponents 13-7 during those minutes. Even though DeBrusk was susceptible to going long stretches of games without scoring a goal, he was defensively strong enough to play with Marchand and Coyle, who often face the opponent’s top six forwards on every shift.
While the Bruins want someone who can contribute offensively in this second-line right wing spot, it’s also important that this player can handle the defensive responsibilities of that role. These aren’t easy minutes, to say the least.
Here are the Bruins’ best options on the second line at right wing (in no particular order).
It’s time for the Bruins to see what they have in Lysell. He was the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He’s the most offensively skilled player in Boston’s prospect pool. He has an excellent shot, is a talented playmaker, plays with speed and is dangerous on the power play.
What does head coach Jim Montgomery want to see from Lysell in camp?
“I just want to see him dive into one-on-one battles, finding loose pucks,” Montgomery said. He told reporters last week“He’s a talented offensive player, and for talented offensive players to be successful, they need the puck on his stick, and that’s why I say he needs to win more one-on-one battles, not more, but that has to be a focus, being really focused on getting the puck on his stick so he can do the things he does well.”
Sure, the defensive part of his game needs work, but that’s pretty standard for a skilled 21-year-old forward with no NHL experience. For Lysell to thrive, he needs to play with other talented offensive players, preferably in a top-six role. He’s not the type of player you put on the fourth line just to gain experience.
The Bruins should give Lysell a longer chance in the NHL and see how he responds. If we get to early-to-mid December and he’s struggling to score and making mistakes on defense, then maybe it’s time to evaluate his suitability. Giving him a real chance isn’t going to sink the Bruins’ season if it doesn’t pan out. So why not see what they have in this player? The Bruins desperately need someone with his scoring ability and speed on the right wing.
Lysell’s addition to the roster would also be a boon for the Bruins’ salary cap situation. He still has this season and next on his entry-level contract, which carries a small cap hit of $863,333.
Geekie is a natural center, but he played wing last season. And with the Bruins’ offseason additions of Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic, the most likely role for Geekie is probably somewhere on the wing.
Geekie definitely has the toughness and defensive acumen to play with Coyle and Marchand. He’s a tough player who can be relied upon to play a lot of minutes against the opponent’s top six forwards. Geekie scored a career-high 17 goals last season and played a lot with Coyle. He’s likely a leading candidate for this spot heading into camp.
Poitras is better suited at center, where she played for most of her rookie season until… The shoulder injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. after just 33 games. But the Bruins have plenty of centers on their roster, and some of them might have to play wingers at different times this season.
Poitras’ offensive ability was impressive as a rookie. He’s a great playmaker and has the ability to score goals in a variety of ways. The 19-year-old has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 33 games.
Poitras is one of the most intriguing players in Bruins camp. Where does he fit? Who does he play with? Can he build on the momentum he gained by surprisingly making the Opening Night roster last season? The Bruins need to make sure Poitras is in the best position to succeed because he is so important to the team’s future.
What are Montgomery’s expectations for Poitras entering camp?
“Well, first, let’s see how he’s getting acclimated again,” Montgomery told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “You know, we’re going to give him some leeway here to get used to practicing at the pace we do, competing, second and third efforts. You know, all those things that he’s going to have to go through to get the rust off at the beginning.
“So we expect to see him in a fair amount of exhibition games. And you know, we’re going to use him on the right wing, we’re going to use him in the middle. Where can he help out the best and make him feel the most comfortable and give him the best opportunity to shine?”
Frederic is a natural center, but has primarily played winger in Boston due to the team’s impressive depth in the middle throughout his career.
Frederic has benefited greatly from playing under Montgomery. The 26-year-old forward set career highs with 17 goals and 14 assists during Montgomery’s first season in 2022-23, then set new career highs last year with 18 goals and 22 assists.
Federico has Played 912:35 of ice time with Coyle For the past two seasons, most of them in the 2022-23 campaign, they were together on the third line. So there is already good chemistry and familiarity between them.
Frederic may not have the offensive chops of Poitras or Lysell, but he does bring the kind of physical ability that Marchand and Coyle exhibit in defensive situations. And to be fair to Frederic, he’s come a long way as a scorer since he debuted in 2018-19. He’s probably still got one or two more levels to reach offensively, and playing a top-six role with two talented veterans could help unlock that potential.
“Trent Frederic has become a very valuable member, and I thought his playoffs were excellent last year,” Montgomery said Wednesday. “I think he took … his growth in the playoffs, he did about the same as he did in the regular season. He was very important to our team. I think one year he scored 17 goals, last year he scored 18, or it could be the other way around. But he started killing more penalties last year. We need him to continue to develop … whether he plays center, right wing or left wing … we’ll see him at center during camp.
“That’s going to happen because he played really well down low in the playoffs last year on defense, he’s a big player who can play a lot of minutes because he’s in really good shape, he’s incredibly fit. So we’re going to move him around to see where he’s going to help the Bruins the most. We know he’s going to help us on the wing and in the middle, it’s just what fits with their linemen.”
Merkulov has led the Providence Bruins in scoring in each of the past two seasons. He did not score in a brief four-game NHL call-up last season.
The former Ohio State forward has played almost exclusively center in the AHL, and as a left-handed shooter, it might be unfair to ask him to play right wing, especially in a top-six role. He has the offensive talent to be a viable player at the NHL level, which is why I’ve included him on this list, but playing right wing isn’t the best position for the 23-year-old.
Tyler Johnson
The Bruins Johnson signed a PTO contract (professional tryout agreement) agreement for camp. The two-time Stanley Cup champion spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. He racked up 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 67 games last year. Much of that production came on the power play.
Johnson on the second line as a right winger isn’t the most ideal scenario for the Bruins, but he’ll likely be in the mix because he’s capable of playing center or winger.
What does Sweeney hope the Bruins get from Johnson?
“The versatility, the experience, the winning pedigree, the production and the skating component is still there,” Sweeney told reporters Wednesday. “So we identified that early on and we weren’t trying to disrespect Tyler and his representatives in the fact that we weren’t in a position to offer him a contract, but we would be excited to have him as part of our group, and he just felt the opportunity was there in a genuine way and as it presented itself, and we’re excited to help.”
