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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins.

Who are the Bruins thankful for?

Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark

Boston’s goaltending wasn’t just great last season, it was historically great. And with the litany of NHL all-stars that departed Boston this summer, many pundits figured that the Bruins’ historical 65-win season would be a distant memory as they struggled through this season. That has not been the case, in fact, the Bruins aren’t just as good as last year. Thus far this season, they are actually better. Last season at this time Boston was sporting an incredible .823 points percentage, but this year they are sitting at an unfathomable .861.

Sure, they still have some of the pieces from their strong core kicking around, but the real reasons they are historically good once again this season are Swayman and Ullmark.

Swayman and Ullmark have split goaltending duties almost directly down the middle this season with incredibly close comparables. Swayman is currently sporting a record of 7-0-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Ullmark on the other hand is 7-1-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

To find a discrepancy between the two netminders it requires a deep dive into the numbers. According to Money Puck, Swayman has saved one full goal more when you look at both goaltenders’ goals saved above expected. Swayman has posted a 7.6 goals saved above expected while Ullmark has posted 6.6. The calculation by Money Puck is done by taking the goals that a goalie is expected to allow and then subtracting the actual number of goals the goalie has let in. Both Ullmark and Swayman are well above average in this category and every other goaltending metric.

There was talk in the summer that maybe the Bruins would like to move on from Ullmark, but it is hard to fathom Boston breaking up such an incredible duo. Goaltending is a notoriously difficult position to project and it’s rare for teams to get one goalie playing as well as Swayman or Ullmark, and having two is unheard of.

What are the Bruins thankful for?

Surprising play from their top centers.

When Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announced their retirements in August, many thought that it could be curtains for the Bruins time atop the NHL standings. But, from the moment the puck dropped to start the NHL season they have received quality work from their top two centers Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle.

Zacha’s year didn’t start out great as he had just a single assist in the first five games of the season, but since that time he has posted seven goals and six assists in his past 13 games. On top of finding his offensive game, Zacha is averaging almost three and a half minutes more ice time per game than his career average and is finding far more success in the faceoff circle winning draws at a rate that is almost five percent higher than last season.

Coyle on the other hand is on pace for a career season and has fit the role of a top-6 center perfectly. At the moment the 31-year-old is on pace for 32 goals and 41 assists should he dress in all 82 games. Now a lot would have to go right for Coyle to hit those numbers, but the odds are pretty good that he will top the career-high 56 points he put up in the 2016-17 season. Coyle isn’t just doing good work on the offensive side of the game; he has also been a huge part of Boston’s penalty kill and has been dominant in the face-off circle.

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

More scoring from the backend

It’s hard to be wishing for more when your team is 14-1-3 to start the season. But if the Bruins were looking for a little something extra it would be more scoring from their defense core. So far this season, Bruins defensemen have accounted for just seven goals and 28 assists. Now, those numbers aren’t horrible, and they certainly don’t paint a fair picture of all their defensemen’s contributions. But the collective 35 points from the Bruins defense core barely tops the 31 points that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes has put up on his own this season.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has said in press conferences that he would like to see the Bruins’ defensemen adopt more of a shot-first mentality and he would especially like to see his rearguards be in shot-ready mode at any time.

There is merit to what Montgomery is preaching. The Bruins have a ton of big forwards who can drive to the net and get sticks on pucks, or at the very least cause disruption and perhaps create a seam for a seeing-eye shot from a defenseman to find its way into the back of the net.

The Bruins could certainly look to conference foe the Carolina Hurricanes to see how an active defense core can score a lot of goals from the point just by simply being selfish and shot-happy when the shooting lanes open.

What should be on the Bruins holiday wish list?

A top-6 forward.

To be fair, the Bruins really don’t have any needs at the moment. And if there is anything that can be taken away from last year’s playoff collapse it is that often it doesn’t payoff to go all in.

The Bruins don’t have many trade chips to bolster their lineup at this year’s trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. If they were to decide to make an impact move at the trade deadline, acquiring a top-6 forward must be top of mind for general manager Don Sweeney.

The Bruins current top-6 is formidable, but it is hard to imagine a team with Stanley Cup aspirations feeling overly comfortable with 34-year-old James van Riemsdyk eating up big minutes come playoff time. That’s no slight on van Riemsdyk, who has been terrific this year, but the reality is that he would be better suited to dress on the team’s third line with Matthew Poitras and Jake DeBrusk

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kevin Labanc Out With Upper-Body Injury

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1:26 PM: Further reporting from Max Miller of The Hockey News suggests that Labanc is actually out with an upper-body injury as a result of the slew foot from Vancouver Canucks’s Nils Hoglander the other night.

12:49 PM: San Jose Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka is reporting that San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc will be a healthy scratch tonight meaning that the Sharks will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen when they take on the Seattle Kraken. Labanc has struggled this year and has just two assists in the first 13 games of the season.

Labanc is in the final year of a four-year $18.9MM contract he signed in October 2020. At the time, the contract seemed like a gamble on a player who was 24 years old, but coming off a season in which he was -33. Now granted, Labanc was just a year removed from posting 56 points in 82 games in 2018-19, but his production had steeply declined in 2019-20 to the tune of just 14 goals and 19 assists in 70 games. The decline in offense didn’t stop the Sharks from offering the Brooklyn, New York native a lucrative extension, which Labanc promptly signed. Unfortunately for San Jose, Labanc’s 33-point season turned out to be a sign of things to come for his offensive ceiling going forward.

After another 33-point season in 2022-23, the Sharks were hopeful that Labanc could regain his 56-point form and become a trade chip at the trade deadline. However, given Labanc’s start to the season, it doesn’t appear that he will be in demand this season. Labanc was nearly waived earlier in the season, and it appeared that the Sharks would send him to the AHL to bury $1.15MM of his $4.725MM hit in the minors. The team reversed course and opted to keep him with the NHL club.

It will be interesting to see what the Sharks do with Labanc for the rest of the season, they could retain half his salary in a trade, but it would represent the final contract the Sharks could retain, and it would handcuff them for the rest of this season until Labanc’s contract expires. The Sharks have already retained salary on both Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns and would likely need to do the same to move on from any of their other veterans under contract.

Injury Notes: Barkov, Vasilevskiy, McDonagh

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Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic is reporting that Florida Panthers star center Aleksander Barkov will not dress tonight for the Panthers matchup with the Boston Bruins. It will be the second game in a row that the 28-year-old has missed after suffering a knee injury in Friday night’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. Knee injuries can be tricky, and it appears that the Panthers are opting to proceed cautiously with Barkov’s return to the line-up.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice did tell Florida play-by-play broadcaster Doug Plagens that Barkov could return as early as Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. If he can return, Barkov and the Panthers will have dodged a major injury scare as the collision that sidelined Barkov could have been much worse. Barkov currently sits second on the Panthers in scoring with six goals and 11 assists in 16 games.

In other injury notes:

  • Tampa Bay Times writer Eduardo A. Encina is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters today that there is a very good chance that star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will play on the team’s upcoming road trip. Vasilevskiy took part in Tampa Bay’s morning skate today but still is not ready to play. The Lighting will open their three-game road trip this Friday in Carolina and then get a few days off before they play a back-to-back in Colorado and then Arizona next Monday and Tuesday. Given that timeline, it is possible that the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner will make his season debut in the next week.
  • Nashville Predators reporter Michael Gallagher tweeted that Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh skated with Roman Josi at practice this morning and is expected to return to game action this evening against the Calgary Flames. McDonagh has been out of action with a lower-body injury since November 2nd, missing the Predators last seven games. While he doesn’t offer much offensively, Nashville’s goaltenders badly missed the veteran. McDonagh is still a terrific penalty killer and does a very good job limiting his opponent’s offensive opportunities. Nashville gave up 20 goals in a four-game losing streak in McDonagh’s absence but has rallied off two straight wins since. They currently sit sixth in the Central Division with a 7-10 record.

Penguins Notes: Rust, Nieto, Samorukov

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Post-Gazette Sports reporter Matt Vensel tweeted some updates this morning from Pittsburgh Penguins practice. Vensel said that Penguins forward Bryan Rust was not in attendance as he awaits results from an MRI yesterday. Rust suffered a lower-body injury recently and it is unclear what the injury is or how long he could be sidelined for. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that Rust will not play tonight and is out day-to-day.

The Penguins have already lost fellow right-wing option Rickard Rakell and if Rust is ruled out long-term it will create a massive void in the Penguins top-6 as well as their penalty kill. Rust has been the Penguins’ most consistent winger this year with 16 points in 17 games on top of his inspired penalty killing.

If Rust is absent long-term the Penguins could find themselves in a big hole as they are in the middle of a tough stretch of games and take on the New York Rangers tonight.

In other Penguins notes:

  • Vensel also reported that Penguins forward Matt Nieto was in attendance at practice today which is typically a good sign for a player’s availability on a game day. This was confirmed by Sullivan who said that Nieto is available to play but will be a game-time decision. Nieto took a maintenance day yesterday and did not skate with the team. The 31-year-old has struggled to start the season with just a goal and an assist in his first 17 games of the season. He has been a piece of the Penguins fourth line that has provided the team with almost no offence this season but has been a very effective penalty killer when called upon. It’s fair to wonder if Nieto is dealing with a nagging issue as he has been unable to come close to replicating his play from last season when he had 12 goals and 12 assists in 81 games.
  • Vensel tweeted that freshly signed defenseman Dmitri Samorukov attended Penguins practice today and has been added to their active roster. The 24-year-old signed a one-year two-way contract yesterday that will pay him $775K at the NHL level for the 2023-24 season. Vensel followed up his original tweet by adding that Samorukov stayed after the Penguins practice for some extra work with the coaches which is generally an indication that he will not play tonight. Samorukov does have three games of NHL experience and has yet to score a point.

Metropolitan Notes: Kane, Hischier, Ristolainen

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ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported today on The Drop that unrestricted free agent forward Patrick Kane reportedly would like to make another run with the New York Rangers but at this point Rangers general manager Chris Drury has been apprehensive due to the team’s lack of cap space as well as the chemistry they’ve build under head coach Peter Laviolette.

Kane was unhappy with last season and his inability to be healthy due to his hip injury. According to Kaplan, Kane felt like he played most of the season on one leg and never had a chance to be an impact player.

Kaplan didn’t rule out the possibility of Kane returning to the Rangers but said that if he were to return it would be similar to last season when Kane essentially forced a trade to the Rangers. Obviously, this wouldn’t be a trade, but if Kane was willing to take a low salary, he could force the Rangers hand as the upside of signing the three-time cup winner might be too much for the Rangers to ignore.

In other Metropolitan notes:

  • New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted that center Nico Hischier will travel with the club but will not dress in tomorrow night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 24-year-old returned to practice yesterday signalling that his return could come soon as he battles his way back from an upper-body injury he suffered on October 27th in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. The Devils have struggled with Hischier out of the lineup, going 4-5 in his absence. The 2017 first-overall pick struggled to start the year with just two goals in seven games but had a career year last year with 80 points in 81 games.
  • Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia is reporting that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was in a regular jersey at practice today, indicating that he can take contact. Ristolainen’s return to a regular practice jersey signals that he is close to making his season debut for the Flyers as he has been on the shelf since suffering an undisclosed injury during training camp. When he is healthy enough to play, the Flyers will need to activate him off LTIR and make room available on their active roster which will likely mean a demotion for a player such as Louis Belpedio.

Nils Hoglander Fined For Slew-Footing

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced today that Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander has been fined $2,864.58 for a slew-footing incident involving San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc. The fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and penalizes Hoglander further for an incident that occurred in last night’s 3-1 win over the Sharks. Hoglander did receive a match penalty in the game which was a severe in-game penalty that is rarely given for slew-footing.

Hoglander and Labanc were engaged in a battle near the boards late in the second period when Hoglander appeared to kick Labanc’s left foot from under him and throw his upper body to the ice. He was initially assessed a five-minute major which was video reviewed and eventually upheld. The incident was certainly difficult to watch, and it resulted in Labanc taking a trip to the dressing room where he was attended to by the Sharks medical staff. It was the first match penalty of Hoglander’s four-year NHL career.

When speaking to the media the 22-year-old said that the play was an accident, although he did accept his punishment. It is the first time Hoglander has been given any supplemental discipline by the Department of Player Safety.

The native of BockträSk, Sweden has five goals and three assists in 17 games this season. He was the Canucks second-round selection in the 2019 NHL entry draft and made the team out of training camp during the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season, registering 13 goals and 14 assists in 56 games.

Evening Notes: Lehkonen, Xhekaj, Meier

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Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen’s upper-body injury is a neck injury. Previous reports had the 28-year-old dealing with an upper-body injury, but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Baugh the news today. The early reports come with no timetable for a potential return, or any specifics about how severe the ailment is. The Avalanche have put Lehkonen on LTIR which means the earliest he can return is December 5th against the Anaheim Ducks.

Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Lehkonen is currently in a neck brace after suffering a scary fall in a game last week against the Seattle Kraken, which is certainly not a great sign. Lehkonen’s mother has also flown to Colorado which indicates that he could need assistance over the upcoming weeks. Lehkonen is a player who plays a lot of important minutes for the Avalanche in all types of situations. He has three goals and five assists so far this season in 12 games.

In other evening notes:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj left tonight’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old suffered the apparent injury after taking a huge hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev in the second period. Xhekaj appeared to be favoring his left shoulder as he left the ice, but the team has yet to comment on the nature of the injury. Xhekaj scored his first goal of the season earlier this week and has three points in 16 games for the Canadiens.
  • Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters tonight that Devils forward Timo Meier will be out of the lineup on a short-term basis. What exactly that means remains to be seen but it is probably a safe bet that Meier won’t be in the lineup on Saturday night when the Devils are home to the New York Rangers. The 27-year-old is in his first full year with the Devils and has five goals and six assists in 14 games. He did not dress in tonight’s 5-2 Devils victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Penguins Loan John Ludvig And Alex Nedeljkovic To AHL

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they’ve loaned defenseman John Ludvig and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The loan is for a conditioning stint so both players can get back up to game speed before they rejoin the NHL Penguins. Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that both players will be eligible to join the team on Sunday to play NHL games.

Ludvig and Nedeljkovic are both currently on long-term injured reserve and have already joined the Penguins in full practices before their AHL assignment. The Ludvig news is not surprising given that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has stated before that Ludvig would have a conditioning assignment, but Nedeljkovic was a bit of a surprise. The Penguins may have opted to allow him more time given that third-string goaltender Magnus Hellberg has filled in admirably for Nedeljkovic. Hellberg has a .922 save percentage in three appearances with a 1-0-0 record.

Ludvig suffered a concussion in his NHL debut on October 24th against the Dallas Stars and hasn’t dressed in a game since. The 23-year-old was a waiver claim before the start of the season and is one of the few Penguins defensemen who offer a bit of sandpaper. The Penguins currently have seven defensemen on their NHL roster and have used Ludvig’s LTIR to call up Vinnie Hinostroza who has been very good on the team’s rejuvenated fourth line. 

The Penguins’ third defensive pairing has been a revolving door all season with Ryan Shea and Chad Ruhwedel currently occupying the final pair. Pierre-Olivier Joseph started the year on the left side, but hasn’t been able to hold down a spot and has struggled when he has been re-inserted into the lineup. The Penguins also have Ty Smith in the minors as well as Will Butcher who is injured. Ludvig will give the Penguins further roster options but could also complicate their current roster construction when he is recalled.

Matt Martin Out Day-To-Day, Gauthier Sick

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The New York Islanders have announced that forward Matt Martin is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the Seattle Kraken. Martin played just 7:11 last night in the Islanders overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks which is below the 8:27 he has averaged this season.

Martin has a goal and an assist in 14 games to start the season and has seen his usage dip considerably which is unusual given that he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He has been less physical than he typically has been in the past averaging just over two hits a game which is a steep drop from the almost four hits he averaged a game last year.

No word on what specifically is keeping Martin from the lineup or if he will be able to dress for the Islanders on Saturday when they take on the Calgary Flames.

The Islanders also announced that forward Julien Gauthier is out with an illness and will miss tonight’s game in Seattle. Gauthier has been a healthy scratch more often than not this season so its hard to say whether or not he will dress when he recovers and is good to play again. The 26-year-old has no points in two games this season and the team has struggled immensely when he has been deployed for New York.

The Islanders are 5-6-4 to start the season and have already dealt with a ton of injuries just a month and a half into the regular season. They were relatively healthy going into last night’s game and can ill afford to lose any regular starters at this point.

Afternoon Notes: Mantha, Grzelcyk, Avalanche

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NHL.com writer Tom Gulitti tweeted today that Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha suffered a ruptured ear drum when an Evgeny Kuznetsov shot bounced off a defender’s stick and hit Mantha in the ear. The injury happened November 8th in a game against the Florida Panthers and led to the 29-year-old being placed on the injured reserve.

Mantha reportedly lost hearing in that ear for six days and has only now started to get it back. He reported feeling dizziness initially, but according to Tarik El-Bashir, he should be well enough to play on Saturday when he is eligible to come off the IR.

Mantha has three goals and an assist in ten games this season with the Capitals and has been a healthy scratch at times as he hasn’t been able to find his game in Washington. He had two of his goals in the Panthers game when he suffered the injury but was knocked out of the game before he could complete the hat trick.

In other notes:

  • Boston Globe writer Conor Ryan is reporting that Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that he expects defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to be cleared to return to the Bruins lineup by this Saturday. The 29-year-old has been out of the lineup since October 30th when he suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime win against the Florida Panthers. Grzelcyk played just 3:29 in that game and left during the third period of the win. The native of Charlestown, Massachusetts has dressed in nine games this season and has a single assist but has looked off his game when in the lineup. His average ice time is down, as are many of his defensive numbers which could lead one to speculate if he was dealing with a nagging injury prior to sitting out these past few weeks.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they’ve essentially reversed yesterday’s roster moves. The Avalanche sent Sam Malinski and Caleb Jones to the Colorado Eagles yesterday and today decided to recall both players. No word yet on why Colorado opted to change course, but both players are back on the Avalanche’s NHL roster as of this morning. Jones has an assist in his one NHL game this year while Malinski is pointless in one game.

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