Sports Hub Underground: Projecting the Boston Bruins’ opening night lineup
In this brand-new episode of the Sports Hub Underground, Matt & Ty project the Boston Bruins’ opening night lineup for 2023-24.
Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) talks to right wing David Pastrnak (88) during Game 3 against the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
(Click here to subscribe to the Sports Hub Underground podcast.)
The Boston Bruins' off-season is complete. And while it may be a bit early to do so, it's a good time to project their opening night roster.
That was the main topic of the newest Sports Hub Underground podcast, which you can listen to above. Feel free to throw it on as a companion piece to this article, and click the subscribe link if you like what you hear.
Ty and I did our best to go through the Boston Bruins' current roster - and to be fair, it's their likely roster come opening night - and figure out the line combinations and defensive pairings. Because little, if none, of the lineup is really set in stone, and might not be ven at the start of training camp.
Here's a quick look at each of our lineups...
Ty's Projected Forward Lines
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY SportsBoston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) talks to right wing David Pastrnak (88) during the second period against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Trent Frederic
Jake DeBrusk - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk - Morgan Geekie - Jakub Lauko
Milan Lucic - Marc McLaughlin - A.J. Greer
The notable thing here is that Ty put Frederic on the top line with Marchand and Coyle. This could be a theme for the Bruins this season: guys that aren't "true" top-six forwards populating the top-6. They don't have enough realistic top-six forwards to field a great top-6, so weak spots are inevitable.
Ty's Projected Defense
Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesMatt Grzelcyk #48 of the Boston Bruins reacts with Charlie McAvoy #73 after scoring in the third period in Game 4 of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden on May 21, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort - Kevin Shattenkirk
Ty likes what ain't broke - that being the Grzelcyk-McAvoy, and Lindholm-Carlo pairings. So he ain't "fixing" that. He doesn't believe top defensive prospect Mason Lohrei is ready for the NHL nor will the team feel that way, so he's expecting Lohrei to at least start the season in Providence.
Matt's Projected Forward Lines
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY SportsBoston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) celebrates with left wing Brad Marchand (63) after scoring against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
James van Riemsdyk - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Jake DeBrusk
Trent Frederic - Morgan Geekie - Jakub Lauko
Milan Lucic - John Beecher - Oskar Steen
No, JVR is ideally not a top-6 forward, certainly not top-line. But that grouping is more about the Pastrnak-Zacha duo driving the action. Same goes for Marchand and Coyle. On the fourth line, I think it's finally time for the Bruins to find out what they have in 2019 first-round pick John Beecher.
Matt's Projected Defense
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) (right) talks with Hampus Lindholm (27) before a face-off against the New York Islanders during a game at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
Hampus Lindholm - Charlie McAvoy
Mason Lohrei - Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk - Kevin Shattenkirk
I would prefer to see Lohrei in the NHL over one of either Grzelcyk or Forbort, so Forbort is the odd man out here. I simply don't believe in Grzelcyk as a top-pairing defenseman, even if it does work well in the regular season. They at least need to be prepared to break him and McAvoy up when it inevitably goes south in the playoffs.
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Pavel Zacha #18 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with David Pastrnak #88 after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at TD Garden on April 8, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Listen to our complete thoughts in the new podcast. We also drafted our "Big 3" PlayStation 2 games, a must-listen for anyone who owned the classic video game console.
Subscribe to the Sports Hub Underground for new episodes every Thursday.
Apple: https://apple.co/3AICTPR
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3j5ibDR
Google: http://bit.ly/38pPKIG
