By: Ryan Duffy | Follow Me On Twitter @Rduffy26
Per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Bruins’ head coach Jim Montgomery told the media that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is “slightly ahead of schedule” regarding his potential return. The 28-year-old defenseman underwent successful shoulder surgery back in June and wasn’t anticipated to make his return until a month into the 2022-23 season. The offensive defenseman is set to enter his sixth year in the NHL and seemingly has a spot on the Bruins’ top-four defensive pairing waiting for him.
If Grzelyck returns on opening night against the Washington Capitals on October 12th, the Bruins will have one less spot open for a bubble player to crack the defensive lineup. With Grzelcyk on the verge of recovering from his injury, here’s a look at three defensemen competing for a roster spot on the left side.
Mike Reilly
When the Bruins acquired Mike Reilly back in the 2021 trade deadline, he showed flashes of brilliance with his quick first step and mobility during his first season. Since then, he has regressed and had a down year in the 2021-22 season. Reilly finished last season with four goals and 14 assists and recorded 35 giveaways in 70 games. He not only struggled in the regular season but was also scratched for two games in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and was held off the scoresheet in the five games played.
Reilly played on an injured foot through the 2022 playoffs and couldn’t seem to shake off his inconsistent regular season. Reilly is set to enter the second year of his three-year $9 million ($3 million AAV) deal, which he signed with the Bruins last year. His contract is one that the Bruins may want to move on from, but there is a risk/reward to trading Reilly, given the injuries Boston has on the blue line.
Jakub Zboril
Zboril hasn’t had the easiest path to earn a roster spot in the NHL. The Czech native was selected in the first round of Boston’s infamous 2015 NHL draft. Given his draft status, the defenseman had high expectations. After spending time in the QMJHL, AHL, and NHL, the 25-year-old seems ready to earn a full-time spot with Boston. Right out of training camp, Zboril has impressed the coaching staff. Montgomery told the media that Zboril had been one of the five most impressive players at camp, and he’s shown it thus far in the preseason.
This season could be Zboril’s breakout year as he may get a legitimate shot playing top-four minutes. The left-shot d-man is a versatile player with experience playing on his offside. This greatly works in his favor since McAvoy is expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season. If Grzelyck is ready to return for game one, then Zbroil will likely get the opportunity to crack the lineup on the right side.
Jack Ahcan
Ahcan has undoubtedly made an interesting case for himself based on his play thus far in the preseason. Although he’s only shown up on the stat sheet once (one assist) in two games played in the preseason, he’s shown improvement in his confidence with the puck and quick decision-making thus far.
The issue with adding Ahcan into the fold of the Bruins roster is because he offers much of the same puck movement and skating style as Matt Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly. Because of his inexperience in the NHL, the 5-foot-9 offensive defenseman is an expendable player. Playing an extra year in the AHL may not be the worst-case scenario for Ahcan. He’s shown that he can quarterback a powerplay and produce points on the backend in the AHL. If he continues to put up points over the first quarter of this season in the AHL (assuming he doesn’t make the opening night roster), he’ll get called to the NHL eventually.
Regardless of who makes the opening night roster, the Bruins organization will have tough decisions ahead of this season. Management will likely move players for cap space, and younger players will fight for jobs as the 2022-23 season gets underway.
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