As one of the most prestigious teams in the entire National Hockey League suits up for the upcoming 2022-23 season, it has been identified that offense will drive the Bruins to victory. The Bruins are no-stranger to the offensive game, as the team was built around their offensive core along with other capable veterans.
Offense will be the one area of the game that you will count on from the Boston Bruins. With the likes of Brad Marchand, and potentially even Taylor Hall on the injured list to start the season, other names will have a greater opportunity to play more minutes. For example, Pavel Zacha and Jake DeBrusk.
Boston's second-line is expected to be the difference maker. When Taylor Hall is fully-healthy, Boston possesses one of the best, if not the greatest second line in the entire league. David Krejci is back in Boston, and will act as a playmaker towards sniper David Pastrnak, and goal-scorer Taylor Hall.
The Bruins will also look for additional secondary scoring from their bottom-six and potentially even their d-core. Mike Reilly and Jakub Zboril will both see extended offensive shifts due to injuries on the backend.
Defense on the other side is not highly regarded going into the start of the season. Of course, Boston will be without Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk. But it is worth to note that new head coach, Jim Montgomery prefers to play an offensive-minded game.
Without a high-end d-core, the Bruins will also look for solid play from veteran Linus Ullmark, and youngster Jeremy Swayman. Both netminders are coming off of solid, similar seasons, splitting the net throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Overall, it is expected that Boston will start the season sluggish, but they should maintain within a playoff position till the return of Marchand, McAvoy and Grzelcyk.
Key Player Projections:
- Patrice Bergeron - 50 Points
- David Pastrnak - 85 Points
- Taylor Hall - 60 Points
- David Krejci - 40 Points
- Charlie Coyle - 37 Points