Can Morgan Geekie Replicate His Career Year?

By: Ryan Jainchill | Follow me on Twitter / X @Jainchill_Ryan

In what was a bottoming out for the Boston Bruins in the 2024-25 season, a bright spot that shined out of the rubble was the play of Morgan Geekie. Despite a slow start to the season, the 27-year-old was able to step into a role that allowed him to excel. He solidified himself as a quality first line left-wing option and finished the season with career-highs in goals, assists and points, recording 33-24-57 and signed an extension in Boston for six more seasons.

The breakout of Geekie was not on many people’s bingo cards heading into last season. In his first campaign with the Bruins, the 2023-24 season, he notched 17-22-39, all of which were career-highs to that point. That year, he was a mainstay in the Bruins’ middle-six, but come the postseason, he stepped into a greater role, centering who would become his partner in crime last season in David Pastrnak.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Geekie was projected to be the second line right-winger alongside Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. But it was a struggle for the Strathclair, Manitoba native, who had no goals and two assists through the team’s first 16 games and was a healthy scratch at times. But sometimes a change in line placement can make the difference for both player and team.

Geekie would score his first goal of the season on November 12th in St. Louis, kickstarting a three-goal third period comeback win for the Bruins. While Geekie would finish the calendar year of 2024 with only 13 points in 34 games, 2025 would start his point spree that would finish with his first career 30-goal campaign.

The duo of Pastrnak and Geekie were inseparable for Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco from January on. Geekie produced 26-18-44 in 43 games, over a point-per-game pace. Four of those 26 goals were when the Bruins were a man up, meaning he was producing significantly more at five-on-five. From the trade deadline to the end of the year, an 18 game stretch, Geekie had 11 goals, including goals in six straight to conclude the campaign. He recorded his first career five-point game on April 5th, notching a goal and four assists in a 5-1 victory over his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes. He would also take home the NESN 7th Player Award for going above and beyond expectations.

Geekie and Pastrnak were centered by Elias Lindholm down the stretch and produced 4.49 expected goals per game in the 37 games they appeared on the ice together. That number is important for a Bruins team that struggled to score all season. For first-year Head Coach Marco Sturm, that may be a line he relies on to produce next season.

Ahead of 2025-26, Geekie will be asked to replicate that output. On the surface, playing with an all-world scorer in Pastrnak and a pass-first two-way center in Lindholm would allow many to excel at the NHL level. The eye test benefits Geekie, as his ability to find open space and utilize his powerful shot complements Pastrnak and Lindholm well. Many times in the offensive zone, Pastrnak would draw multiple defenders his way and Geekie would be at the net front, ready for a pass or rebound.

But the concern with Geekie being able to replicate a 33-goal output is the spike in shooting percentage. Geekie finished second in the league with a 22.0 shooting percentage, trailing Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point by 0.2. In the 2023-24 season, his shooting percentage was 13.1 on the highest volume of his career to that point. The difference in volume was marginal from 2023-24 to 2024-25, with Geekie taking 20 more shots last season and appearing in only one more game than he did in his first in Boston.

For Geekie, the fact that he can produce at five-on-five negates a lot of the high-shooting percentage worries. The intangibles that come with his high-paced style of play allow him to create separation for his linemates and then find space himself for an open look. Is 30 goals in the cards again for Geekie? Maybe not. But can he still be a 50-point player playing top-line minutes for Boston? Certainly.