(Photo Courtesy of Winslow Townson – USA TODAY Sports)
By: Tim Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
As the 2019-2020 season draws near, there is an excitement in the New England air amongst Bruins’ fans. This team a year ago was one win away from winning the Stanley Cup and expectations are sure to be high again. As you’ll see with my bold predictions, I too, have some lofty expectations of what this team can do. Without further ado, let’s dive right in and see what I believe we could be in store for this season.
David Pastrnak eclipses 50 goals and 100 points
David Pastrnak was excellent for the Bruins last season. In 66 games played he netted 38 goals and dished out 43 assists for 81 total points. Looking at those numbers a little deeper, you find out that 50 goals and 100 points may not be such a huge stretch. Scoring 38 goals in 66 games is a goal per game pace of roughly .575. That projected over an 82 games season works out to be roughly 47.15 goals.
That’s really not that far off from the 50 goal prediction I made. I think it’s feasible, if healthy that Pastrnak eclipses the 50 goal mark. Looking at the winger’s point total, he had 81 points in 66 games. That ends up being a point per game total of roughly 1.22. That over an 82 game span works out to be 100.04 points. As you can see, given his production last season, and the fact that he’s increased his production each year since being in the league we could be in for a big season from Pastrnak.
Oskar Steen will eventually lock down second-line right-wing
Oskar Steen has looked excellent so far during the pre-season. He’s been able to showcase his ability and prove that he may ready for the NHL quicker than previously anticipated. The young forward comes to the Bruins after having an excellent 2018-2019 season in the Swedish Hockey League where he netted 17 goals and dished out 20 assists for 37 points in 46 games.
Steen is a tenacious, hardworking forward with great offensive ability. He’s not afraid to battle to gain position on players. Many people actually believe that this style of play will be more suited for the North American game than it was in Sweden. Steen will likely start the year in Providence, but given his ability, style of play, and how well he has played in the pre-season, I firmly believe by the trade deadline that we will see Steen solidify the revolving door at the second-line right-wing position.
Charlie McAvoy will be a Norris Trophy Finalist
Charlie McAvoy is coming off a season where he was really good despite being injured for part of it. On top of that, he was excellent in the playoffs and showed a glimpse of what he can truly be. We all know that he is the heir apparent to Zdeno Chara as the team’s number one defenseman, but I think he takes a major step forward and solidifies that spot this season.
Not only do I believe that McAvoy will step up his defensive game even more, but I think his offensive game will also improve. His point per game total was up from his rookie year, and though he had 28 points in 54 games, that roughly translates to 42.82 points in 82 games. I think McAvoy will eclipse 55 points this season. Ultimately, McAvoy will fully grasp the title of best defenseman on the Bruins and it, in turn, will result in becoming one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
The 2019-2020 Boston Bruins will make it back to the Stanley Cup Final
The 2018-19 season left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Bruins’ players and fans alike. The team was devastated after losing game seven at home to St. Louis. This is going to motivate the team to be even better this season. The offseason brought a lot of change in the Eastern Conference. Teams got better, and familiar contenders are still going to be good. Despite this, and a few questions in the Bruins’ lineup, I think Boston will be left standing when all is said and down in the East.
The major reason that the Bruins will be in the Stanley Cup Final again is the defense. They will end up having the best defensive unit in the East and possibly the entire NHL. The young guys; Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, and Connor Clifton each took a huge step forward during the 2018-19 playoff run and will only continue to get better.
Veterans Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara are still very good and will round out the defense. Not to mention you still have the excellent goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. This defense is going to be formidable and will be the biggest reason why they make it back to the Stanley Cup Final. I hope everyone enjoys this final stretch before the start of the season. Feel free to send me any comments or questions on Twitter and as always, GO, Bs, GO!
Leave a Reply