Can Brandon Bussi upend the Bruins’ current plans in goal?
The Bruins’ decision to trade Linus Ullmark was a shock to absolutely no one.
Given the club’s publicly-stated intentions to attack their needs aggressively, and with Jeremy Swayman due for a payday after a strong 2024 postseason run, there was simply no way that the Bruins could’ve afforded to roll with another year with an even pricier Swayman-Ullmark tandem. But the true shock of that trade came with the inclusion of Joonas Korpisalo in the deal.
Don Sweeney and the Bruins opted not to flip the 30-year-old Korpisalo (whose cap hit will be $3 million for the next four years), or buy him out for that matter, and have instead carried on like he will be the backup when Swayman is eventually signed by the club.
But there’s a great wild card in all of this, and that’s Brandon Bussi.
Set to enter his third training camp with the organization, the 26-year-old Bussi has carved out a solid start to his professional career. In 2023-24, Bussi posted 23 wins and a .913 save percentage in 41 appearances for AHL Providence, and to this point, has built out an AHL career that’s featured a 48-17-9 record and .918 save percentage in 78 total games over the last three seasons.
He’s also entering the danger zone — well, for the Bruins, anyway — of requiring waivers this fall. That means that Bussi will either have to make the Bruins out of training camp or be offered up to the rest of the league for free via the league’s waiver wire before he could report to Providence.
That does not sound like something that’s of supreme interest to the Bruins given what they’ve said about Bussi ahead of the opening of training camp.
“It’s not always going to be right in front and sometimes the best path is maybe a longer path, so you can work on those things, and I think Bussi, is another guy that [Mike Dunham] and Goalie Bob [Essensa] have recognized the compete level in him and his ability to put the work in,” P-Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel said last week. “That’s always been probably his biggest attribute: Just being able to work and the quality of work that he’s put in. And he’s gotten better every year.”
Bussi’s progression was, in theory, strong enough to make the Bruins somewhat comfortable (relative term) in moving on from Ullmark in the first place. Especially when you look at how he’s been a fast riser in the organization since the moment they signed him, with Bussi by all means forcing his way above a lengthy tenure with ECHL Maine as originally penned as the plans for the 6-foot-5 goalie. He’s also put in the time, which was something that Mougenel has highlighted as a must for any player in the pipeline.
“He looks fantastic. From a body standpoint, he’s slimmed down. He looks like another guy who looks like he’s put in the weight. But it is a hard message to give to players to to be patient and your time is going to come. And you want guys to be ready. I think that’s the biggest thing you want when those guys get that opportunity to be ready. And it’s no different than Justin Brazeau getting an opportunity [last year]. And when you talk about patience, it’s something we talk about down [in Providence]. While you’re here, put in the time and the quality of work and be a great teammate and see where it where it ends up.”
Of course, the simplest end result here — and, again, this is all assuming that Swayman is signed between now and the start of the regular season — is that the winner of the Bussi vs. Korpisalo battle produces an actual winner and forces the Bruins to make a difficult call.
“I don’t want to lose sight of Brandon in the sense that he’s paid his dues, and he wants his opportunity to be in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said back in June. “If he beats out, in this case, all likelihood Jonas, then we’ll have to give him the opportunity. He requires waivers, so it’s part of the cycle of all the players, and when they start to mature and an opportunity presents, then yeah, we have to make a tough decision.”
If that happens, and if it’s Bussi who outperforms the veteran Korpisalo in camp, the Bruins could have Korpisalo and his $3 million salary hit the waiver wire and report to Providence. Given the commitment due to him in both in dollars and years, as well as his abysmal 2023-24 results with Ottawa, the odds of someone claiming Korpisalo and taking that contract off Boston’s hands seem low. Especially if Korpisalo were to be beat out by someone with zero minutes of actual NHL experience in training camp.
Should the Bruins move ahead with that kind of move, Korpisalo would have a dead cap hit of $1.85 million on the Bruins’ books (and $1.15 million in savings) while in Providence. Factor that in with Bussi’s league-minimum salary and it would be a net savings of $375,000 on the backup goalie spot.
The money may be the least of the Bruins’ worries, though, and Boston’s focus may instead be on not letting a potentially valuable asset be exposed to the rest of the league for free.
That could open the door to the idea of the Bruins beginning the year with three goalies on their NHL roster and letting a Bussi vs. Korpisalo battle rage on into the regular season. At that juncture, roster shuffling via waiver claims is typically less likely and it’s where the true competition would ramp up against what will be no-doubt NHL-level competition (not always a lock in the preseason slate).
And so while all the focus will remain on Swayman until he signs on the dotted line, and even after that, the real head-to-head exists behind him, and starts with yet another hungry player knocking at the door.
Taking stock of the Bruins' options at 'RW2' this season
Trent Frederic
Nov 9, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) reacts after scoring a goal against the New York Islanders during the first period at the TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)
For two years now, Trent Frederic has been as dependable as it gets for Jim Montgomery. In fact, Frederic’s probably been the closest thing that Montgomery has to a Swiss Army Knife. Frederic has rarely made a line worse, and has instead bolstered that trio with a rather unheralded scoring touch that’s seen him post the 51st-best shooting percentage (14.4 percent) out of 250 NHL forwards with at least 200 shots on goal over the last two seasons.
Frederic’s also shown some growth in the defensive side of his game, and has at times looked more comfortable on the right side versus the left side, even as a lefty-shooting option. Perhaps most notably, however, is the fact that Frederic has experience playing with both Coyle and Marchand, both as a trio and as duos.
Together for 51 minutes of five-on-five play a year ago, the Marchand-Coyle-Frederic line outscored their opponents 3-0 despite being outshot 26-21 and having an offensive-zone faceoff percentage of 37.84 percent. And if we go back to the start of the Montgomery era behind the bench, the Coyle-Frederic combo has played over 900 minutes of five-on-five action together, with the Bruins outscoring opponents 49-23 over that span.
Fabian Lysell
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Fabian Lysell #21 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 05, 2022 in New York City. The Bruins defeated the Rangers 5-4. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
I don’t know about you, but when Brad Marchand talked about how a skill guy couldn’t simply skate on his line just because he could dangle through three guys, I couldn’t help but think of 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell. It was strikingly similar to comments made by Providence coach Ryan Mougenel in a midseason callout last year.
Things certainly changed for Lysell following that callout, and the 5-foot-10 Swedish wing finished his season with 15 goals and 50 points in 56 games for AHL Providence. Injuries reared their head for Lysell towards the end of the year, but it felt like a definite step forward for the polarizing wing, with Sweeney seemingly acknowledging that Lysell would’ve been in line for a look with the NHL club had he not been injured while Mougenel professed that Lysell is ready to push for an NHL gig.
“We forget how young Fabian is at times,” Mougenel said during B’s development camp back in July. “We had him as a 19-year-old and the maturity that he’s shown in his game has been great to see. It’s been two years for Fabian where the light started to go on really early on this year that — you play well in your own end, it translates to offense.
“He’s such a special player.”
Now, jumping from the AHL right into a top-six role is no easy feat (and it’s something that realistically hasn’t been done in Boston successfully since David Pastrnak in 2014-15), but has always been the play with Lysell. The thought has always been that he’s a player that might be better when the lights are brighter and the opportunities are greater. That’s reportedly rubbed some people the wrong way along the way, sure, but this would be an example of the kind of chance he’s wanted.
Morgan Geekie
Apr 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) makes a save on Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie (39) during the first period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
If the Bruins want to go with another proven fit, the versatile Morgan Geekie is a strong contender for the gig.
In fact, Geekie was the second-most common linemate for Coyle and Marchand during the 2024 postseason behind Jake DeBrusk (and he’s gone, so he’s no longer an option), with over 27 minutes of even-strength action with the duo. The Marchand-Coyle-Geekie line also got some run during the regular season, with one goal on 18 shots in a 27-minute sample.
This is probably the most ‘no frills’ second line that the Bruins could create, all things considered, but it might be exactly what they want given the forever-shifting nature of the line’s responsibilities on a game-to-game basis.
Geekie, meanwhile, is coming off what was a career year in 2023-24, with career-best marks in goals (17), assists (22), points (39), power-play points (12), shots (130), hits (137), and blocks (50). Geekie also averaged what was a career-high mark in nightly time on ice, with 15:25 per game, which was almost a full three minutes higher than his previous career high.
Justin Brazeau
Feb 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Justin Brazeau (55) is congratulated at the bench after scoring his first NHL goal during the second period against the Dallas Stars at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports)
A late-season surprise, Justin Brazeau definitely made the most of his NHL opportunity, with five goals and two assists in what was a 19-game run mostly spent on the Black and Gold’s bottom-six forward grouping.
But one thing that became relatively common during Brazeau’s season was an in-game promotion up the depth chart, often to the right of Marchand and Coyle on Boston’s second line. The limited sample didn’t lead to anything otherworldly — the Bruins broke even in goals (1-1) and were outshot 6-2 in 7:40 of five-on-five time together — but it’s something that clearly can be a potential option.
Now, so much of that has to depend on the jump that Brazeau can make after getting his feet wet in the NHL a year ago. Skating has always been the knock on the 6-foot-5 wing, but there were definite improvements in that regard from what we saw of him when he first joined the Bruins on AHL only deal. Brazeau’s defensive chops could be an issue when it comes to making him an ideal fit for this line, but with an obvious emphasis on getting a little nastier this year (especially on their fourth line), Brazeau may need to move up the depth chart to earn regular playing time this season.
Georgii Merkulov
Sep 29, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Georgii Merkulov (42) skates with the puck during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
I think the Bruins would love to find a way to get Georgii Merkulov on their roster out of the gate this season. I do think they realize they’re close to ‘use him or lose him’ territory, and the preference would be to turn the found money of an NCAA signing and 2024 AHL All-Star into something at the NHL level. After all, Merkulov has very little left to prove in the minors after a season that included 30 goals and 65 points in 67 games for the P-Bruins, and 125 points in 142 total AHL games.
But, with all that said, lining him up at right wing seems like an absolute longshot. Simply because he’s never actually lined up at right wing at any point during his pro career, according to the numbers.
Merkulov did have a rather uneventful cup of coffee with the Bruins last season, as they opted to utilize him in a fourth-line role, where he had three shots, a plus-1 rating, and averaged 10:35 over a four-game sample with Boston.
Tyler Johnson
Mar 23, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Tyler Johnson (90) reacts during the first period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. (Robert Edwards/USA TODAY Sports)
It simply wouldn’t be a Bruins training camp without a PTO candidate in the mix for the club. This year, that honor will go to Tyler Johnson, a player best known for his run with the Tampa Bay Lightning (and two Stanley Cups) prior to a three-year excursion with the tanking-beyond-belief Blackhawks.
A player who can play both wing and center, though he plays the former a lot more than the latter these days, the 34-year-old Johnson put up 17 goals and 31 points for the Hawks a year ago, with that offensive output standing out as his best since the 2018-19 season. He did the bulk of that damage on the power play, but it’s worth also worth noting that Johnson was top-five among Chicago forwards when it came to defensive-zone starts and defensive-zone faceoffs, meaning that he was someone that the Blackhawks leaned on all over the ice.
Of course, Johnson would have to show out in training camp and earn a contract, which could be difficult given the logjammed nature of this roster as is, but it’s worth wondering if the Bruins give him a try in that RW2 spot.
