Following an incredible regular season, the Boston Bruins experienced a disappointing Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2022-23 NHL season. They won a record-setting 65 regular season games but failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs.
The Bruins have undergone some changes during the offseason. Most notably, captain Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement. Veteran David Krejci retired, too, leaving the Bruins down two franchise centers. Additionally, multiple players left in free agency.
How will the Bruins respond after a heartbreaking playoff exit and losing two franchise players to retirement? Before the 2023-24 NHL season gets underway, here are three bold predictions for the 2023-24 Bruins.
Bold predictions for the Boston Bruins: 3. Bruins won't trade for a number one center and they'll be a solid team with who they have
With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retiring, there's been speculation about how the Bruins will fill the holes at center. Right now, they're rolling with Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as the centers in their top six. If the Bruins don't find a suitable trade for a number-one center, they could hold off for next summer's free-agent market. In the meantime, Boston can be a playoff-caliber team with their current roster.
The Bruins will find their way through the adjustment. Zacha and Coyle are both two-way players, which takes some of the edge off of losing Bergeron and Krejci, although neither has the same level of goal-scoring ability as Bergeron. No one expects either player to be Bergeron, but their versatility can help the Bruins be successful.
Head coach Jim Montgomery spoke to the media about Zacha following the third day of 2023-24 training camp. He noted he believes in Zacha and said, "I think where his game's at, you could tell today the way he practiced that he has a lot of confidence in himself as well." Confidence goes a long way, and it's visible on the ice. Zacha has the skills and the potential, but he will need to prove himself in an elevated role this season.
The Bruins selected Brad Marchand as their new captain. Marchand, a veteran who has been a Bruin for his entire career, is ready to lead the team. With production from top offensive contributors such as Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Jake DeBrusk, as well as solid defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins are a complete team without trading for a top-line center. Don't count out the Bruins just because Bergeron and Krejci retired.
Bold predictions for the Boston Bruins: 2. Jake DeBrusk will score 30 goals in 2023-24
Jake DeBrusk has come close to hitting 30 goals in a season three times. Is this the season he'll finally get there? It would be a great time to hit a new milestone, considering DeBrusk's contract expires at the end of the season, and he's hoping to ink an extension. The next bold prediction for the 2023-24 Bruins is that DeBrusk will score 30+ goals for the first time in his NHL career.
Last season, DeBrusk scored 27 goals. He played in 64 of 82 games, missing time due to a fractured fibula and a hand injury. If he hadn't missed time, DeBrusk would have had the opportunity to reach the 30-goal threshold. The same could be said about the 2018-19 season when he also scored 27 goals, that time in 68 games. DeBrusk scored 25 goals in 77 games in 2021-22, the most games he has played in a single season.
DeBrusk is a confident winger whose high-energy play brings a spark to the Bruins' offense. Despite missing time during the 2022-23 season, DeBrusk took a career-high 191 shots on goal. He hit career highs in points (50) and power-play points (14). He also saw an uptick in ice time (16:46 TOI/G) last season. DeBrusk is carrying momentum from a solid season, and he's entering his prime.
The team's dynamics have changed, especially among the forwards. DeBrusk will be working with a different center this year, Charlie Coyle or Pavel Zacha. For DeBrusk to score 30 goals, staying healthy and finding chemistry with linemates is paramount.
Bold predictions for the Boston Bruins: 1. Bruins will go further in the Stanley Cup playoffs than last season
The boldest prediction on this list is that the Bruins will go further in the Stanley Cup playoffs than last season. What makes this deserving of the top prediction is that the Bruins will have a different look this season, and they've got some tough competition.
It's hard to top last year's regular season, but the sting of their early playoff exit is certainly something the Bruins want to erase with a better postseason. To get there, the Bruins will have to secure a spot in the playoffs, which some people are doubting they'll be able to do. In the Atlantic Division, their toughest competition will be the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. The Panthers snuck in as an Eastern Conference wild card last season.
In addition to the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, several players left in free agency this offseason, including Dmitry Orlov, Connor Clifton, and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins traded Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall in exchange for Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell. Some players who signed in free agency are Kevin Shattenkirk, James van Riemsdyk, and Jesper Boqvist.
What makes a deeper run this season possible is that the Bruins team that won 65 regular season games in 2022-23 was eliminated by a wild card team. The Panthers not only eliminated the Bruins from the playoffs in the first round, but they ultimately made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. The Bruins probably won't win the Atlantic Division, but they could pull a 2022-23 Panthers-style wild card story. It's all a matter of Boston getting hot at the right time, and they still have talent to be in a position to get there.