By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis
We are now just one day away from the start of training camp, and it finally feels like hockey is back in Boston. Since the team’s first captain’s practice on September 3rd, players new and old, have trickled in from their summer hideaways to prepare for the upcoming season.
Despite the major offseason acquisitions assembled by General Manager Don Sweeney, significant roster spots are still up for grabs. With that in mind, here are four storylines to follow during Bruins Training Camp:
Jeremy Swayman Contract
There is no bigger elephant in the Bruins locker room than the contract status of goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The 25-year-old became a restricted free agent on July 1st, and fans have waited on the edge of their seats for 123 days as Don Sweeney and Swatman’s agent performed the infamous contract negotiation tango.
The lack of tangible progress on a new contract has forced Bruins fans to turn to the rumor mill for news and updates. On September 4th, Ryan Whitney of Spittin’ Chiclets lit a fire under the fanbase, saying his sources believe the Bruins’ initial contract offer to Swayman was a four-year deal worth $6.2M AAV.
On the September 6th edition of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman stated that Swayman was looking for a contract similar to Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5 million per year deal. Friedman released the latest episode of the podcast yesterday but provided no real update on the situation.
The question is whether or not Swayman will report to training camp. He was an active participant during captain’s practice and hasn’t let the negotiations become an on-ice distraction to this point. Swayman must sign before December 1st if he intends to play this season, so camp will be a big indicator of his willingness to work out a new deal.
Second Line Right Wing
In order to make room for the additions of Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, the Boston Bruins had to let top-six winger Jake DeBrusk go in free agency. DeBrusk’s departure leaves a massive hole in Boston’s top-six forward group, and someone will have to step up to fill it.
Boston’s dream scenario is that 2021 first-rounder Fabian Lysell will step in next to Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand. Lysell registered career highs in goals (15), assists (35), points (50), and powerplay goals(6) last season in the AHL, and Don Sweeney even indicated that Lysell earned a look with the big club last year that was ultimately delayed due to injury.
There’s no guarantee Lysell wins the job, and if I were a gambling man, my money would be on Trent Frederic to earn the spot. The 26-year-old also posted career-highs across the board last season (18-22-40) and has a pre-existing chemistry with Coyle. He also spent some time skating with the second line last season, most notably during the second-round playoff series against the Panthers. When Frederic skated with Marchand and Coyle, shot attempts were 10-8, scoring chances were 7-2, and high-danger chances were 4-2. If Frederic continues setting career highs, this could be one of the better second-line trios in the league.
After Lysell and Frederic, the list gets a bit thinner than fans are probably comfortable with. Morgan Geekie could slide into that role as he did for portions of the playoffs, although the trio wasn’t very impressive together. Georgii Merkulov deserves a shot, but I don’t have high hopes for him as a left-handed center. That leaves the opportunity for dark horse candidates like rookie Riley Duran or imposing Justin Brazeau to earn the role.
Whoever Jim Montgomery decides to place on his second line could be the decision that makes or breaks this season.
Backup Goaltender
This situation becomes A LOT more interesting if Jeremy Swayman isn’t signed by opening night, but either way, the Boston Bruins need a backup goaltender. Joonas Korpisalo was acquired in the Linus Ullmark trade earlier this summer and looks to have an inside track on the position.
Korpisalo had an abysmal 2023-24 season (21-26-4, 3.27 GAA, .890 save percentage) and will seek the guidance and teaching of Boston’s goalie guru, Bob Essensa, to help repair his game. Before signing with Ottawa last season, Korpisalo had the best year of his career, splitting time between LA and Columbus. The Finnish netminder went 18-14-4 with a goals against of 2.87 and a save percentage of .914. If he can regain that form, the job will be his for the taking.
The downside to a Korpisalo resurgence is that Boston’s organizational goaltending depth could take a major hit. Brandon Bussi (23-10-5, 2.67, .913) and Michael DiPietro (18-9-2, 2.51, .918) had excellent seasons splitting time for the Providence Bruins. Bussi has been a staple for several years and one of the consistent bright spots for the AHL affiliate. DiPietro was one of the best goalies in the league last season and could be just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
The issue is that if Korpisalo wins the job, Bussi and DiPietro won’t automatically return to Providence. Both of them are now at the point in their careers where they need to pass through waivers to be assigned to the AHL. I don’t know about you, but I watched some of the goaltending around the league last season, and if a team has the chance to snag a potential long-term starter or serviceable backup off waivers, why wouldn’t they?
The question isn’t just whether Korpisalo will win the job; it’s also what the goaltending will look like in Providence once the decision has been made.
Bottom-Six Forwards
In their end-of-season press conferences, Don Sweeney and Cam Neely stressed the need for the organization to grow bigger and faster. The team ranked 24th in both shot attempt and unblocked shot attempt percentages (47.03 and 47.51 percent), indicating that they were out-possessed during the regular season and spent most of their games on the defensive. To combat this, Sweeney brought in a litany of larger and speedier forwards to round out his roster. The question is, which ones will make the cut?
Max Jones seems like an obvious addition to the bottom six. The 26-year-old former first-round pick put up 5-10-15 points for the lowly Anaheim Ducks last season. The 6’3, 126lbs Jones has a top speed of 22.96 miles per hour, according to NHLEdge, making him one of the fastest skaters on the team. He’s also one of the better forecheckers in the NHL, averaging 7.62 pressures per 60 and 4.57 recovered dump-ins per 60. I know the numbers may not mean much, but they indicate he’s a fast and tenacious winger who creates turnovers and keeps possessions alive.
Jones will join a group including Justin Brazeau (6’5″, 220lbs), Johnny Beecher (6’3″, 216lbs), Mark Kastelic (6’4″, 226 lbs), Cole Koepke (6’1″, 203lbs), and Riley Tufte (6’6″, 230lbs) looking to earn a spot at the bottom of the roster. Each player has qualities that make them well-suited for the lineup, but in my opinion, Brazeau’s production (5-2-7 in 19 games), Beecher’s speed (Top speed of 23.64, 97th percentile) and faceoff win percentage (54.6 percent), and Kastelic’s size and faceoff percentage (54.4 percent) make them likely candidate for the job.
The only question remains whether these skaters will get an opportunity on the third line. If Fabian Lysell makes the roster, Montgomery will likely reunite Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie, and a healthy Matt Poitras. But if one of Geekie or Frederic earns the second-line spot, another one of the players mentioned above could find their way on the opening night roster.
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