Coaching camp has formally begun for the NHL, and the 2024-25 season is underway. The largest story dominating Boston Bruins’ headlines is after all Jeremy Swayman, who stays unsigned. It could actually be unhealthy information for the crew if he have been to stay unsigned when the season begins in October, particularly contemplating they traded their different goaltender, Linus Ullmark, initially of the offseason.
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However because the 2024-25 season begins to get underway, there are a variety of different questions moreover Swayman’s contract that must be answered. There are three that I feel will likely be most impactful and intriguing to comply with as soon as the common season formally begins on Oct. 8.
How Will the Group Fare With out Dominant Goalie Tandem?
The strongest side of the Bruins’ recreation the previous two seasons has been the power of the crew’s goaltending. That is due to the play of each Swayman and Ullmark. They have been the strongest goalie tandem within the league. They stunning a lot evenly cut up the video games within the common season, giving Boston a strong goaltender in internet every evening. Each goalies saved video games that the crew would have misplaced in the event that they hadn’t been those in internet.
Through the previous two common seasons, there has by no means been a query in regards to the power of goaltending. That isn’t as a lot of the case going into this season. Swayman contract difficulties apart, with out each him and Ullmark, the power on the goaltending place has weakened. Joonas Korpisalo is presumed to be the backup behind Swayman this season, and is coming off of a really tough season with the Ottawa Senators. There isn’t any longer a assure that the Bruins can have a top-end goaltender in internet every evening.
The Bruins have made enhancements to the roster in entrance of the web, however will it’s sufficient? Will Korpisalo bounce again and be capable of maintain issues down when he’s rotated in? Can the crew stand up to Swayman lacking any quantity of video games, whether or not it’s for contract causes or an harm?
Boston has been blessed with A+ goaltending each evening for the previous two seasons. Swayman is terrific and will likely be price each penny of his eventual contract, however he can’t be in internet each evening. The massive query then turns into, is the roster robust sufficient to outlive now not having a top-end rotation anymore?
How Will Poitras Carry out in Second Season?
Matthew Poitras was a really nice shock for the Bruins’ group final season. After a number of seasons of struggling to combine younger gamers and being persistently ranked amongst the underside of prospect swimming pools within the NHL, basic supervisor (GM) Don Sweeney obtained a win when Poitras, a 2022 second-round decide, made the roster out of coaching camp as a 19-year-old. His recreation grew exponentially within the 12 months between his draft and making the roster, quicker than most likely anybody anticipated.
Sadly, Poitras’ rookie season was lower brief attributable to shoulder surgical procedure. In 33 video games, the now 20-year-old had 5 targets and 15 factors. He was additionally a plus-4. Whereas his season was lower brief, he nonetheless confirmed loads of promise and gave the group lots to be enthusiastic about.
Coming into this season, there are a variety of questions surrounding him. Ought to Poitras spend a while down with the Windfall Bruins within the American Hockey League (AHL)? Final season, his age took out that choice, however now, there are some compelling arguments to ship him down for a month or two. One other query is whether or not or not he’ll play middle or transfer out to the wing. He’s historically performed the middle place and the Bruins at all times want extra depth at that place. However with Elias Lindholm and Charlie Coyle principally locked in as one and two on the depth chart, wouldn’t it be higher to play him on the third line or transfer him out to the wing on the primary or second line to provide him extra minutes?
The sophomore hunch has affected many younger NHL gamers through the years, however to this point in coaching camp, Poitras appears able to tackle the season. He’s gained weight and comes into 2024-25 with some strong NHL expertise. He stays one of the vital anticipated Bruins to look at in 2024-25 and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see what the group finally ends up doing with him.
Will Elias Lindholm Bounce Again?
Lindholm was signed initially of free company this previous summer time to be the Bruins’ prime middle. He’s had some very strong seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames that proved he could possibly be that prime man on an NHL roster. The Bruins’ entrance workplace actually thinks he can and would be the man, signing him to a seven-year deal with a mean annual worth of $7.75 million. He’s at the moment the third highest-paid participant on the roster, trailing solely David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
Lindholm is coming off of a down season. In 2023-24, he performed 49 video games for the Flames, registering solely 9 targets and 32 factors earlier than being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. He struggled to regulate to his new crew within the common season, solely contributing six targets and 12 factors in 26 video games, although he did make some enhancements within the playoffs. In whole, he had 15 targets and 44 factors in 75 video games final season. It was his worst season since 2017-18 when he had 16 targets and 44 factors in 81 video games.
The Bruins are paying Lindholm to be extra just like the man he was from the 2018-19 season via the 2022-23 season than he was in 2023-24. From his arrival in Calgary till final season, he was getting over 20 targets and 50 whole factors a season. His finest got here in 2021-22 when he had 42 targets and 82 factors in 82 video games.
Lindholm is simply 29 years outdated, so he ought to nonetheless be capable of be a serious contributor and get again to his profession highs. The Bruins clearly suppose he can, however the query stays if he really will.
Preseason Approaching
The Bruins are set to play their first preseason recreation on Sept. 22 in opposition to the New York Rangers. Whereas this most certainly gained’t characteristic lots of the faces that will likely be a part of the crew’s opening evening roster, it would actually nonetheless be thrilling to see the black and gold again on the ice after a number of lengthy months with out Bruins hockey.
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The preseason will even be the primary alternative to start out getting some solutions to those questions. Korpisalo, Poitras, and Lindholm will all be guys to control all through coaching camp and preseason.
