By most standards, the Boston Bruins are off to a strong start in 2018-19, sharing the fourth best record in the NHL. By their own standards, the campaign has been less than spectacular thus far due to the heavy reliance on the first line. The grouping of Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is considered by many to be the best line in the NHL. Through twelve games, Pastrnak is tied for the league lead in goals with 11 and has a total of 16 points, Bergeron is third in the league in scoring with 19 points, and Marchand has hardly looked himself and has still contributed 15 points. However, beyond those three, scoring has been hard to come by. According to Matt Kalman of WEEI Boston, it’s not a problem that president Cam Neely and company are willing to “wait too long” to solve.
Neely knows that the Bruins cannot possibly top their performance from last season, a Round Two defeat at the hands of the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning, with just one line of production. Yet, that is more or less what they have had so far. Beyond the top line, second line mainstay David Krejci has been playing well with nine points to date. However, he has had little help, as frequent linemates Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen have failed to build upon breakout rookie campaigns and have been held to just three points apiece. Calder hopeful Ryan Donato has been anything but and was recently demoted after recording just a single point in eleven games. Even surprise top-nine regulars Joakim Nordstrom and Anders Bjork have just two points each. This also comes after prospects Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka all failed to claim an open third-line center spot in camp, a role initially held by veteran David Backes, who was scoreless through seven games before getting injured. Kalman recently opined that Backes should not necessarily even return to the Bruins lineup once healthy.
Neely told Kalman that “we recognize we don’t want to sit around, wait too long, for something that may or may not happen”, as management’s patience with the lack of secondary scoring is running out. He spoke individually on each of the four struggling younsters – DeBrusk, Heinen, Donato, and Bjork – expressing varying degrees of trust in their ability to bounce back, but simply said as a group the young forwards need to improve in all three zones. There is no reason to think that any of the four will turn things around, especially without some shakeup to the roster.
So what could be the next move? Speaking with TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, insider Darren Dreger stated that he thinks the Bruins would be willing to part with one of Heinen, 23, or Bjork, 22, in the right deal. The pair share a similar skill set and ceiling and neither has made much of an impact thus far. Of the two, Heinen’s stock is higher, fresh off of a 47-point campaign that placed him among the top ten in rookie scorers. However, Bjork himself was on pace for a 30+ point season prior to season-ending injury and has looked the better of the two thus far this season. Using the last-place Los Angeles Kings as an example, Dreger speculates that a cap-strapped club like L.A. might be willing to part with a Tyler Toffoli or Tanner Pearson for a package based around a young, affordable, and controllable asset like Heinen or Bjork. Beyond Dreger’s hypothetical, the Bruins could also deal from their wealth of defensive prospects or dangle a mid-round draft pick in order to land some help. Established young forwards of any kind would likely be the primary target group, but impending unrestricted free agent centers could also make an immediate difference. The Bruins could kick the tires on the likes of Matt Duchene, Kevin Hayes, Jason Spezza, and Brock Nelson before too long. Neely has made it clear that the team won’t wait to fix their secondary scoring and a deal could occur any time now.
Tanner Pearson is struggling in LA. I’m don’t think the Bruins need another forward who isn’t producing. Toffoli would be a better fit offensively, but his cap hit would take away almost all of the Bruins cap space. I guess the Bruins could LTIR Backes if necessary. Hayes would be a great fit for the Bruins short & long term. He would deepen the Bruins center depth & if re-signed, Hayes could be Krejci’s replacement as the 2nd line center going forward. His cap hit is currently an issue, but again Backes could be put LTIR to create space.
Hayes and Panarin sounds like fun if they can get Backes on LTIR. Even better, if a contender not near the cap ceiling likes Krejci, move him too. It’d be costly but well worth it. And if they’re still desperate to move a defenseman Gryzleck should be intriguing to a team like NYR.
That and a 2nd rounder should do the job
Yeah I knew there’d be a pick involved too I think a 3rd and a future 5th or 6th is more likely because Boston May be wary to move top picks after the Rick Nash trade.
I don’t bother with Panarin because it isn’t smart to meet Columbus’ high asking price for a player who won’t re-sign with you. Panarin has made it clear that he wants to play in New York. Hayes has ties to Boston, having played his college hockey there, and probably would be more willing to stay. As for Krejci, he has a no-movement clause until the end of this season. He isn’t getting moved before the off-season when the no-movement becomes a no-trade.
Yeah but Krejci seems like a guy where if Sweeney just flat out told him he wasn’t wanted here he’d waive it.
Rangers would easily send Hayes, Vesey, and Brendan Smith for Charlie McAvoy!
Long Island kid coming home and two Boston kids going home. Makes sense. Gives Boston some scoring up front.
Nahhhh Charlie is a Boston boy now, he’s staying right where he belongs
Glad just Bruins fans are commenting for once, NOT trolls like JD etc spouting off asinine nonsense.
Seems pretty obvious that re-signing RILEY NASH and TIM SCHALLER as I’ve continuously stated would have been wise. Fact is the offense has been quite mediocre so far aside from our top TWO lines, and usually it’s the 1st line carrying the load, if we’re being entirely honest. NOT GOOD ENOUGH to beat the best teams in the East, let alone the West in the playoffs etc. The defense is beat down right now, lots of injuries to key players and dirty hits to young guys (Urho) from goon team like ottawa with thugs like mark ‘weicko, making it hard to fully access the defensive deficiencies thus far, but thuink it’s SAFE to say that the defense needs to tighten up as well.
How the f#ck the Bruin DIDN’T SCORE against the nashville sexual predators tonight is WEAK SAUCE at best. Really unacceptable. Truth is, the Nashville Pederasts are a Top 10 team at best and highly overrated when comparing them to Top 5 teams.
I’ve often mentioned Kevin Hayes as a Top 6 target for the Bruins, would look good on the 2nd line, but it sounds like he wants to stay in new yawk with the loser GAGers on a new contract. Perhaps after HOW BAD his brother Jimmy boy stunk it up in Boston, Kevin would rather stay in a LOW PRESSURE situation with the WORST OG 6 franchise in ny. MA has higher standards for our sports teams after all, lol. The Bruins have already given the ny GAGS plenty of useful player for little in return like Lindgren, Spooner, McQuaid and O’Gara to name a few, so we can just wait until K. Hayes is a FA if he indeed wants to play back home in MA.
Seems obvious Donato isn’t ready, still a kid, that’s OKAY though it’s obvious the Bruins need help up front. Would have been nice to get Lindholm, traded to Calgary this summer. Hope the Bruins front office has a plan because IF they don’t, things could get ugly for the black and gold. Can’t have ONLY ONE OR TWO LINES PRODUCING with scoring responsibilities.