The Boston Bruins had a disappointing ending to their 2021-22 season. After finishing in the top wildcard spot, Boston was eventually dismantled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Now that all the dust has settled, let's grade the Bruins players season!
#63 - Brad Marchand (A)
Brad Marchand was once again Boston's leading scorer. The pesky winger put up 32 goals and 48 assists, for 80 points in just 70 games. Marchand had a hot start to the 2021-22 season, poised to break the 100 point margin. Over the course of the season, Marchand's scoring dried up, although he finished with an over a point-per-game average. The one downside to Marchand's game would be the poor discipline he showed. The Halifax native was suspended for six games after getting into an altercation with Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry.
#73 - Charlie McAvoy (A)
McAvoy showed substantial growth in his offensive ability and proved to be Boston's quarterback. The former first-round pick recorded a career-high 56 points in 78 games. McAvoy led Boston's first-unit powerplay, was often on the penalty kill and logged heavy minutes on Boston's first d-man pair. The youngster averaged just over 24 minutes of playing time during the regular season. McAvoy can do anything; he controls the play, plays physical and is defensively sound.
#37 - Patrice Bergeron (A-)
The 2021-22 Selke Trophy winner played a phenomenal season. Bergeron led the Bruins on and off the ice. Patrice's defensive play stood out the most. Bergeron won 61.9% of faceoffs and averaged 18 minutes per night. I do believe that Bergeron was not at his best offensively this season, potentially due to his age. Although, this doesn't take away from his phenomenal defensive season. Bergeron recorded 65 points in 73 games.
#88 - David Pastrnak (A-)
Pastrnak was streaky throughout the season, although he pulled through with 77 points in 72 games. Boston's powerplay threat potted 40 goals this season. Pasta also led Boston in goals, shots on goal and game-winning-goals. During the playoffs, Pastrank added six points in seven games to his resume.
#27 - Hampus Lindholm (A-)
Lindholm was acquired by the Bruins in a mid-season trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Ever since Lindholm got to Boston, he has excelled. The defensively steady Swede played against the toughest competition on Boston's first line. Lindholm fit right in, allowing partner Charlie McAvoy to lead offensive rushes while having a defensive rock to cover. In his ten regular season games with Boston, Lindholm dished out five apples. Unfortunately, Lindholm's playoffs were cut short after he took a hit from Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov. Lindholm will be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season.
#71 - Taylor Hall (B+)
Taylor Hall had a productive offensive season compared to his atrocious 2020–21 season. Boston acquired Hall during the 2021 trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabres. This season, Hall put up a respectable 20 goals and 41 assists in 81 games. The offensively gifted forward got better as the season progressed; he spent time on Boston's second-line while rotating on-and-off the first-line power play unit. During the playoffs, the winger put up a solid four points in seven games.
#74 - Jake DeBrusk (B+)
Jake DeBrusk should be proud of his 2021–22 season. The winger broke out of a slump after being promoted to play alongside top players like Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Once, on the top line, DeBrusk fit in. We finally saw the powerful stride DeBrusk possessed, thus leading to more production. The Edmonton native put up a respectable 25 goals and 17 assists in 77 games. DeBrusk, alongside Taylor Hall, rotated on and off the first-power play unit. Bruins fans should be excited about his breakthrough.
#13 - Charlie Coyle (B+)
Coyle is another player that bounced back after a horrible 2020–21 season. Coyle was responsible on and off the puck. One of his biggest skills would be his puck control and puck protection. There were many instances of Coyle being used in many scenarios, killing time by shielding the puck or creating time in space with his body. Offensively, Coyle put up 44 points in 82 games this season, an upgrade from his prior 20-point season. Overall, Coyle played his role steadily as a third-line centermen.
#35 - Linus Ullmark (B)
In his first season with the team, Ullmark was steady for Boston. Boston signed Ullmark to a five-year contract in the offseason. Ullmark had a slow start but improved towards the end, claiming the #1 goalie spot by the end of the regular season. The Swede finished with a record of 26-10-2, a save percentage of.917, and a shutout. Ullmark unfortunately lost the starting job to Jeremy Swayman during the playoffs, after losing two games. However, Ullmark looked poised in his first season in Beantown.
#1 - Jeremy Swayman (B)
Boston's rookie goaltender stole the net from Linus Ullmark to begin the year. Swayman even won NHL Rookie of the Month for February. During the month, Swayman recorded five wins, a .960 save percentage, and a 1.13 goals-against-average. Unfortunately, Swayman slowed down during the latter part of the season, losing the starting reigns to Ullmark. The Anchorage, Alaska native did play five playoff games, though.
2nd D-Pair - Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo (B)
Grzelcyk and Carlo served as Boston's second defensive pairing, playing well together. Grzelcyk brings speed, quickness, and an offensive game, while Carlo is a big, physical, shutdown defender who makes smart plays.
Grzelcyk's offensive production dipped this season after being moved to Boston's second power play unit. In 73 games, the veteran scored four goals and potted 20 assists. Carlo, on the other hand, tied his season record with six goals, while averaging over a hundred blocks and hits.
Throughout the regular season, the D-pairing played phenomenal together. Although, during the playoffs, Grzelcyk's play significantly dropped. Boston opted to change their d-pairs by dropping McAvoy down to Grzelcyk and Carlo up with Lindholm. Grzelcyk's play was also likely due to his need for shoulder surgery after dislocating his shoulder.
#56 - Erik Haula (B-)
Haula was an extremely streaky player this season. I think Bruins fans were expecting much more from the former 55-point scorer in Vegas. Haula finished the season with a respectable 44 points and 78 games. Haula is a player that can be described as inconsistent; he is either "in" the game or not. Haula's game is all offence and his defensive play was not really noticeable.
#12 - Craig Smith (C)
Craig Smith wasn't really good this season. The forward took a step back from his prior season. Smith struggled at times, and like Haula, he was a very streaky player. The Madison-born winger at times made mistakes that may have occurred due to confidence. Smith was pretty much invisible during the playoffs, not registering a point in seven games. During the regular season, Smith scored 16 times in 74 games.
Fourth-Line Forwards: Tomas Nosek, Trent Frederic, Nick Foligno, Curtis Lazar (Overall: D)
The fourth line was absolutely atrocious for the Boston Bruins. They often got scored on and rarely produced anything offensively.
Tomas Nosek was a solid addition to the Bruins' lineup. Nosek didn't bring an offensive game, although he was defensively sound. He was one of Bruce Cassidy's trusted faceoff guys and was always running the penalty kill. Nosek assisted 14 times and recorded 17 points. Grade: B
Curtis Lazar had a mediocre season, he brought some physicality to the lineup. Lazar didn't necessarily stand out, but he was solid and responsible as a two-way forward. Lazar is likely to become a UFA and will likely opt to test the open market. Grade: C
Trent Frederic was a former first-round pick by the Boston Bruins. This season he wasn't great. Frederic didn't really bring an offensive or defensive game, although he made frequent mistakes. The St. Louis native was an agitator and brought a physical edge. Frederic pushed buttons and ended up with costly unnecessary penalties. This led to his benching later in the season. Frederic played only 60 games this season and scored 18 points. Grade: D
Foligno was one of the worst signings of the prior offseason the Bruins made. The ageing forward didn't really bring much to the ice, although he served as a mentor and leader off the ice. The Bruins paid Foligno more than $3 million, but he only scored 13 points and saw limited playing time. Grade: D-
Other Players:
- Jakub Zboril - B+ (10 GP, *Got Injured*)
- Derek Forbort - B (76 GP, 14 PTS)
- Connor Clifton - B- (60 GP, 10 PTS)
- Mike Reilly - B- (70 GP, 4 G, 13 A)
- Jack Ahcan - B- (6 GP, 1 G)
- Chris Wagner - C (1 GP)
- Tyler Lewington - C (2 GP)
- Oskar Steen - C (20 GP, 6 PTS)
- Anton Blidh - C- (32 GP, 9 PTS)
- Jack Studnicka - C- (15 GP, 3 A)
- John Moore - D+ (7 GP, 1 A)
- Josh Brown - D (6 GP)