Expansion Primer: Boston Bruins
We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
While the Boston Bruins have a legion of talented young players pushing for major roles, they are still a team that is defined by a veteran core: 2011 Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. Add young mainstays like David Pastrnak and Torey Krug and 2016 free agent acquisition David Backes to the mix and it may seem like the Bruins would be in a tough position with expansion like many other deep veteran teams.
However, the expansion process, while burdensome for some, gives the Bruins just enough space to protect all of their most valuable players including that entire core. They still face some tough decisions, but none that will drastically alter the franchise on June 21st.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards
David Krejci (NMC), Patrice Bergeron (NMC), Brad Marchand, David Backes (NMC), Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, Tim Schaller, Alexander Khokhlachev
Defense
Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara (NMC), Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, Joe Morrow
Goaltender
Tuukka Rask (NMC), Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban
Notable Exemptions
Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre
Key Decisions
With Bergeron, Krejci, and Backes having No-Movement clauses and Marchand and Pastrnak two of 2016-17 top scorers, Boston is locked into a 7-3 protection scheme. Chara also has a No-Movement clause and Krug isn’t going anywhere so that’s five forward spots and two defensive spots locked up (Rask has a NMC as well if that was even a question). So which three Bruins get the final spots?
There have been many rumors this off-season, and even before the season ended, that perhaps Ryan Spooner’s time had run out in Boston. The 25-year-old center clashed with former coach Claude Julien and, after a brief rejuvenation, also lost play time under replacement Bruce Cassidy, including scratches in the playoffs. However, Spooner is still a top-end passer and a power play expert and the Bruins won’t just let him go for nothing. If Spooner hasn’t been traded before protection lists are due, he is guaranteed a slot. Whether or not he is still traded after the Expansion Draft remains an unknown.
For the final forward spot, the Bruins face a tough decision, but one with few negative repercussions. Jimmy Hayes has been a disaster in Boston and Tim Schaller is nothing more than fourth liner, so neither likely even gets consideration, nor would Vegas be interested unless otherwise incentivized, as has been rumored with Hayes. Alexander Khokhlachev left the organization last summer to play in the KHL, and little attention has been paid to his absence. The Golden Knights have drawn the interest of Russian players, but drafting Khokhlachev, who never proved his NHL viability in Thus, the decision comes down to Matt Beleskey and Riley Nash. Beleskey had a career year in Boston in 2015-16, the first of a five-year deal, and seemed to fit in well with the Bruins. After a brutal, injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign, that fit is in doubt and there have been rumors that the team might look to trade a pick to Vegas in order for them to take the remaining three years and $11.4MM off of their hands. However, a healthy Beleskey could be far more valuable than Nash, who struggled to produce in his first season with the Bruins. Yet, Nash is a versatile veteran forward and a key penalty killer who makes just $900K next year. Hayes, Beleskey, and Nash all fulfill the 40/70 qualification and two will be exposed, so the team won’t have to worry about that requirement.
On defense, the decision holds some more weight. If Boston is unable to entice the Knights into selecting Hayes or Beleskey, it seems most likely that a defenseman will be chosen. The team must choose whether they want to protect long-time Bruin Adam McQuaid, exciting young player Colin Miller, or perhaps the most complete player of the group, Kevan Miller. Joe Morrow was once a top prospect, but his time to reach those lofty expectations in Boston has come and gone and the Bruins would be happy if Vegas chose to take him instead of one of the other two. Assuming that doesn’t happen, this becomes a big decision. Colin Miller is just 24 years old and an offensively-minded puck-mover, whereas Kevan Miller and McQuaid are very similar stay-at-home types. Colin Miller was also a major piece of the Milan Lucic trade from just two years ago. However, his development has had its fair share of bumps and Kevan Miller has definitely established himself as a more complete player. McQuaid also is in the mix and could be the beneficiary of club loyalty and a desire to have a seasoned vet behind young centerpieces Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the right side of the blue line. All three players meet the 40/70 qualification and have term on their contracts, so again meeting that one-player quota won’t be a concern.
Projected Protection List
Scheme: 7F/3D/1G
Forwards
David Krejci (NMC)
Patrice Bergeron (NMC)
David Backes (NMC)
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner
Riley Nash
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara (NMC)
Torey Krug
Colin Miller
Goalie
Tuukka Rask (NMC)
The general rule of expansion (and just common sense) is that if you’re allegedly willing to trade a draft pick to move a player, like Matt Beleskey, you’re probably happy with taking the risk of leaving him unprotected as well. Riley Nash played his best hockey toward the end of the season and that effort level next season at only $900K is tough to pass up. Still, the Bruins are unlikely to lose a forward, unless they do make a trade, because of the superiority of the players that they could potentially expose on defense. Kevan Miller is likely the best defenseman of the three, but Colin Miller brings a unique skill set from he and Adam McQuaid and has youth and potential on his side. Vegas would likely jump on the chance to take a young, offensive defenseman like Colin Miller, while there may be several defenseman of similar caliber to Kevan Miller and McQuaid available. Protecting Colin Miller may in fact be the Bruins’ best chance of retaining all three. If Vegas does pass up on a defenseman, it will be to take a goalie. No, not Anton Khudobin. Khudobin finished the season with a stretch of some of his best play since his last stint in Boston, but Vegas has more than enough options for backups that Khudobin won’t be of interest. Instead, young keeper Malcolm Subban could be the pick. Subban has been passed up by Zane McIntyre on Boston’s organizational depth chart and simply doesn’t appear destined to be an NHL regular with the Bruins at any point. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team will likely draft many goalies and a minor leaguer with some promise would not be a wasted pick. Subban would also be the most harmless pick the Bruins could endure.
AHL Updates: West Finals, Gulls, Subban
With a win over the San Diego Gulls, the San Jose Barracuda move on to face the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Western final of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Right wingers Ryan Carpenter (25) and Barclay Goodrow (23) have led the Barricuda in scoring, while the Griffins have relied upon Tyler Bertuzzi (22) and rookie Evgeny Svechnikov (19). In the East, the Providence Bruins are tied with the Hershey Bears, and the Syracuse Crunch lead the Toronto Marlies 3-2. This is the first time a San Jose affiliate has gone to the conference finals since 1998, and is a sign of good things to come for their organization. The other teams have consistently been in the mix the last half decade, as they have been supported well by their parent clubs. The Griffins’ success in particular is inspiring for a Detroit Red Wings team that missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years.
- San Diego Gulls players Sam Carrick and Nic Kerdiles both have assumed roles as black aces for the Anaheim Ducks. Either could easily see time in the event of further injuries. Carrick is a 4th-line energy player who would do best in limited minutes, while Kerdiles has shown flashes of being a future 3rd-line shutdown player. Kerdiles has already played two games in the playoffs for Anaheim, posting no points but not committing any grievous mistakes. He could be a part of their bottom six for years to come, and this playoff experience will only do him well. The former 2nd-rounder is already 23, but has shown positive improvement and growth.
- Malcolm Subban of the Providence Bruins is hoping to prove himself for the Boston franchise, according to the Boston Globe. The highly touted younger brother of P.K. Subban, the first-round goaltender has struggled mightily since hitting the pros. He has only played parts of two games for the NHL affiliate, being pulled in both. At 23 years of age, however, he has lots of time to cement himself and refine his game in net. Goaltenders are generally given more time to work through issues and it takes a while for one to truly be considered a bust. Subban was a rock in junior for the Belleville Bulls, posting a .934 save percentage in his final season there. His .917 save percentage this season in Providence, however, is not likely to catch many eyes in the organization. He also remains backup to Zane McIntyre in the P-Bruins current run, and McIntyre’s 2.02 GAA and .929 playoff save percentage is good enough to keep him in the starting role.
Bruins Notes: Krejci, C. Miller, Morrow, Subban
Fresh off a 2-1 Game One win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night without three starters in David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Brandon Carlo, it appears that the Boston Bruins will have to line up for Game Two with an even more short-handed roster. While the team has until their matinee puck drop on Saturday to make any official announcement, it sounds as though defenseman Colin Miller will join the growing list of injuries. Miller, who left the previous game after suffering a lower body injury on a trip from Mark Borowiecki, was on the ice for practice today, but left early due to pain and discomfort. After practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy made it sound very unlikely that Miller would be available for the next game.
With Miller out, in addition to Krug and Carlo, Joe Morrow is the next man up to slot in on the blue line. Morrow, a former first-round pick and a piece of the Tyler Seguin trade, has not been able to work his way into regular play time in years with the Bruins. With John-Michael Liles in the fold this season, Morrow was bumped down to eighth on the depth chart and has not played in almost three months. However, the Bruins were able to beat the Senators with just five defenseman for most of Game One, so even a cold Morrow could be an upgrade as Boston looks to take a stranglehold on the series with another road win.
- Having Krejci back would certainly go a long way to help the Bruins take a 2-0 series lead, but Cassidy confirmed that Boston’s highest-paid player will miss another game. Cassidy did add the qualifier that “as of today” he would miss the game, and Krejci did suit up for warm-ups before being a late scratch in Game One, however he missed practice today and all signs point to the Bruins playing is safe with their third-highest scorer.
- As reported earlier, the Bruins have made it official that they have returned goalie Zane McIntyre, who suited up as Tuukka Rask‘s backup for Game One, back to the AHL and has recalled Malcolm Subban on an emergency assignment to serve, fittingly, as an emergency backup should anything cause Rask or Anton Khudobin. Don’t worry Bruins fans, there’s no reason to worry about Rask’s health.
East Notes: Lightning, Subban, Galchenyuk
The Tampa Bay Lightning headed into this season after a fruitful summer, getting Steven Stamkos under contract just before he hit the open market, signing Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn to team-friendly cap numbers and locking in Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy to extensions that start next year. It was an impressive few months for Steve Yzerman and his management group, but he couldn’t rest on his laurels for very long. This season posed new challenges, and this summer would have been even tougher getting Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin under contract with such little cap space.
During the year the young GM moved out Brian Boyle, Ben Bishop and Valtteri Filppula, opening up a bunch of cap room for the summer and for the performance bonuses that several players—including Brayden Point, who came out of nowhere to put up a 40-point season—were now due to receive. He’s accomplished that goal as CapFriendly reports, clearing just enough room to not carry any bonus overages into next year. The Lightning were at risk of almost $1.2MM in penalties, which would have in all likelihood cost them a player. Now he’ll have around $20MM to re-sign Johnson, Palat and Drouin in addition to Andrej Sustr and Jake Dotchin, among others.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that Zane McIntyre will head back to the AHL Bruins to start tonight, while Malcolm Subban will be heading to Boston as their emergency goalie. To be clear, that doesn’t mean that Subban will see the ice or that either Boston goaltender is injured, just that he will serve as an insurance policy should one of them go down in warm up—like Matthew Murray did before game 1 for the Penguins.
- Frank Seravalli of TSN opines that the Montreal Canadiens need to find a “finisher” for Alex Galchenyuk if they want him to produce these playoffs. Since he’s been demoted to a line with Steve Ott and Andreas Martinsen, Galchenyuk continues to produce offensive chances but isn’t getting much help from his linemates. It doesn’t seem like Galchenyuk will return to the center ice position under head coach Claude Julien, and will likely have to find a way to impress without the skilled wingers he was once given. If the Canadiens fail to register a goal again however, you can be sure the lines will hit the blender for Game 3.
PHR Originals
Here’s a roundup of all of Pro Hockey Rumors original content for the week:
- Zach Leach examined the precarious position the Pittsburgh Penguins may find themselves in ahead of the expansion draft with Marc-Andre Fleury‘s NMC requiring the team to protect him and therefore leaving open the possibility Matt Murray might be available for Las Vegas to choose should the team not find another alternative.
- Brett Barrett looks at the rookie players currently in the NHL who could see their entry-level contracts slide should they be returned to their respective Junior teams.
- Gavin Lee posts the latest in the Franchise Faceoff series, comparing the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks.
- Zach Leach ponders whether goalie Malcolm Subban, Boston’s first-round pick in 2012, is on the verge of being labeled a bust.
- Brian La Rose continued with PHR’s 2005 Draft Take Two series, asking who the New York Islanders should select if they had a chance to do it all over again.
Malcolm Subban Reassigned To Providence; Rask Returns
The Boston Bruins announced via their team website that they have reassigned goalie Malcolm Subban to Providence of the AHL. Subban was originally recalled due to injuries to Boston’s top two netminders, Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin. He started one contest and was pulled in the second period of a loss to Minnesota after allowing three goals on 16 shots.
The reassignment of Subban suggests Rask is now healthy enough to at least serve as the backup in tonight’s game against Detroit. Joe Haggerty of CSNNE confirmed that belief via Twitter, indicating that Rask and Zane McIntyre would serve as the tandem between the pipes for Boston.
Subban was Boston’s first round choice in the 2012 draft, selected 24th overall. In 99 appearances for Providence, Subban has recorded a 91.6% save percentage and a goals-against-average of 2.46.
Atlantic Notes: Subban, Canadiens, Panthers
Boston goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban has fully recovered from a fractured larynx he suffered in the pregame warmups in an AHL game back in early February, writes Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald. Subban was unable to exercise for more than two months which ended his sophomore pro campaign much earlier than he had hoped.
Subban spent most of last season with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence, posting a 14-8-5 record in 27 appearances with a 2.46 GAA and a .911 SV%. The former first round pick (24th overall in 2012) will likely have to wait another year to contend for the backup job behind Tuukka Rask as the team signed Anton Khudobin, who played with Boston in 2012-13, early in free agency.
Other news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Canadiens have decided not to retain the services of analytics consultant Matt Pfeffer, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. The team will hire a replacement for that role instead. Pfeffer, 21, previously was employed by San Jose in the 2014-15 season.
- Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant isn’t worried about incorporating several new defensemen into their lineup, writes the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Filakov. Florida, who won the Atlantic last season, have added Mark Pysyk and Keith Yandle via trade while signing Jason Demers on the second day of free agency. On the flip side, they’ve lost Erik Gudbranson, Brian Campbell, Dmitry Kulikov, and Willie Mitchell which is a lot of turnover for a division winning squad. Gallant also noted that he expects four or five youngsters to push for a roster spot in training camp. Here’s a look at the Panthers’ depth chart, courtesy of Roster Resource.