( Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports )

By: BNG Staff | Follow us on Twitter @BlackNGoldPod

Fans of the Boston Bruins, are full of ideas about what will improve their side regarding the all-important secondary scoring metric. To some, it’s all about strategy. There’s a suggestion that all the side needs to do is better reconfigure its current player plan, for example. It’s about luck to others: you can’t, some fans say, expect to win unless you have a streak of good fortune.

And yet, to others, the solution seems to be something else altogether: changes to the line-up. Changing players is likely to be a big deal for the Bruins, but in the context of problems in the second-line center, it may be wise for the team to go to this effort. This article will explore what player changes would look like at the Bruins – and who might need to go for the changes to happen.

Current Status

Those who like to have a gamble on the outcome of ice hockey games here and there will no doubt have found themselves visiting sportsbook websites at WSN.com – to find out who the odds-on favorites are in their favorite games. The Bruins are far from bad: on the contrary, their recent performances – like their current 5-1 defeat over the Canadiens – reveal that they still have it in them to do well.

And many of their current established players are also strong suits. Charlie McAvoy, for example, is a top player in defense who is building up a strong track record of stellar seasons. Then, it’s not prudent to assume that their current players are failing or that their management decisions are all bad.

Changes So Far

Before looking at some of the changes that might come in the future, it’s also worth thinking about what changes have already taken place in the interests of fairness. In recent times, the most prominent of these has been the re-signing of Tuukka Rask, a top-class goalkeeper who has made appearances for the side before. He’s due to start playing again around now. The decision to offer him a lucrative contract reflects that he is a much-loved player that boosts the side.

Second-Line Center

However, there are certain problems with how the team has got their players put together. The second-line center is dismal for the side, and there’s long since been talk that the team will get rid of David Krejci. This is rooted in a perception that their scoring is very “top line” in nature. Secondary scoring has been hard to secure.

As a way of boosting their scoring depth, then Krejci may have to go. Or that another player could be brought on to join the likes of Erik Haula in the center, who is – to be fair – not doing a bad job.

When Would It Be?

If the side wants to decide, it might need to be soon. The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the chance to make a switch after that could go quite quickly. Currently, and following an announcement by the National Hockey League, the expected date for the trade deadline is March 22nd of this year.

Of course, it takes much longer than just a week or two to work out trades: the players have to be sure that they want to move, and the teams have to be sure that they want to take them. For that reason, any shift in the team make-up to improve secondary scoring likely needs to start around now.

Ultimately, it’s up to the managers of the Boston Bruins to decide who steps out onto the rink and succeeds. But for many fans, a bit of fantasy hockey is a good thing – and there’s no shortage of that in the Bruins community. While it’s certainly true to say that the side has already taken a few steps towards optimizing its player set-up in the last few months, it’s also the case that there’s more to do – and fans will be watching closely as the management makes its decisions.