By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney has had a busy offseason so far. Sweeney has re-signed three Bruins restricted free agents and acquired a plethora of additional forwards, including giving Morgan Geekie a six-year deal worth $33 million. With Elias Lindholm entering the second year of his seven-year, $54.25 million contract, both skaters are primed to ride shotgun with David Pastrnak again on Boston’s top line.
The rest of the forward combinations remain up in the air. John Beecher and Marat Khusnutdinov both signed back as restricted free agents. Sweeney also agreed to deals with Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, Matej Blumel, and Alex Steeves. Additionally, the Bruins traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Viktor Arvidsson.
Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Mark Kastelic are also on the roster. Not to mention, young players like Matt Poitras, Fraser Minten, and Fabian Lysell are a part of Boston’s organization.
With 12 forward slots available each night, there will be hefty competition for those coveted positions during training camp and throughout the season. In his first year as Bruins head coach, Marco Sturm must find the right combinations in Boston’s crowded forward department.
One crucial aspect is solidifying Boston’s top line. With all these forwards battling for minutes and depth chart hierarchy, Sturm will have new data each game to see where to slot each player. But it would be helpful for Sturm to know who he can rely on to play with the Bruins’ best player each contest.
If Geekie and Lindholm get off to slow or ineffective starts this year, it would seriously hinder the Bruins. The coaches would have to constantly shuffle all four lines each game to search for an offensive spark.
Sturm and the Bruins coaching staff can turn their attention to other parts of Boston’s game plan if Lindholm and Geekie consistently produce offensively and continue to refine their chemistry with Pastrnak. Knowing that those two forwards will be slotted with Pastrnak each game, and trusting that the trio will consistently drive play in the opponent’s zone and generate scoring chances, would take a great deal of pressure off Sturm and the rest of the Bruins players.
Towards the end of last season, Lindholm started picking up points skating with Geekie and Pastrnak. He scored six goals and dished out ten assists in his final 20 games.
And after Geekie got off to a rough start last season, he caught fire. After scoring one goal in his first 18 games, he ripped home 32 lamp lighters over his final 59 games.
Lindholm must step forward offensively in his second year in Boston, and Geekie must not regress too far from his production last season. Sturm will already have his hands full finding the right forward combinations on the second, third, and fourth lines. Lindholm and Geekie will be crucial in assisting Pastrnak in driving Boston’s offensive attack and helping solidify the pecking order within the Bruins’ forward depth chart.
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