Atlantic Division 2014-15 Preview: Boston Bruins

2014-15 NHL Atlantic Division preview: Boston Bruins remain the class of the division despite question marks.

Author:
Dan Gartland
Publish date:
Sep 28, 2014

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COACH:

2013-14 RECORD: 54-19-9; 117 points (first in Atlantic; lost to Canadiens in second round)

VITAL SIGNS: 3.26 goals-for per game (3rd); 2.16 goals-against per game (2nd); 21.74 power play pct. (3rd); 83.65 penalty kill pct. (8th); shootout record: 3-6 (25th)

NOTABLE ARRIVALS: None

NOTABLE DEPARTURES: RW Jarome Iginla, F Shawn Thornton, D Johnny Boychuk

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

Forwards
Milan Lucic — David Krejci — Loui Eriksson
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Reilly Smith
Chris Kelly — Carl Soderberg — Matt Fraser
Daniel Paille — Gregory Campbell — Jordan Caron
Chris Kelly, Justin Florek

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara — Dennis Seidenberg
Dougie Hamilton — Torey Krug
Adam McQuaid — Kevan Miller
Matt Bartkowski

Goalies
Tuukka Rask
Niklas Svedberg

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If the offense regresses—it ranked third in the NHL last season, averaging 3.15 goals per game—Boston's dominant defense can step up to keep this team in contention as long as it can answer some questions. The aging Zdeno Chara is a concern—he took just 168 shots last season, an indication of how effectively defenses were able to take away his time and space—and Dougie Hamilton has great potential as a three-zone force. He's on the verge of a breakout season and this would be a good time for him to deliver it. Likewise Torey Krug, an emerging force on a power play that ranked third last season (21.5 percent). There's also the matter of health. Dennis Seidenberg's absence was obvious in Boston's playoff loss to Montreal. And the loss of Johnny Boychuk in a cap space trade has created a hole that will be hard to fill. The Bruins must hope that goalie Tuukka Rask remains in Vezina form just in case the answers aren't quite what the Bruins want to see.

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David Krejci

Krejci is under the gun after his vanishing act in the 2014 playoffs (no goals and four assists in 12 games). That spotlight was only made brighter by the six-year, $43.5 million extension he signed over the summer that will make him the highest-paid player on his team beginning next season. He'll never be the sort of elite center who lands among the top-20 scorers, but his two-way game makes him the ideal No. 1 for Claude Julien's demanding defensive system.

PREDICTION: 110 points, first in Atlantic