Bruins: 2016 Line Projections
The Boston Bruins have built their forward group like they have in the past, strong down the middle.
Claude Julien typically does not like to play around with lines and make tweaks like some other coaches do; but with a log jam at center there is potential for the lines to change on a regular basis. With the roster as is right now here is something that we could see game one.
Marchand-Bergeron-Backes
Belesky-Krejci-Pastrnak
Vatrano-Spooner-Hayes
Griffith- Acciari-Nash
A couple of things can change this drastically: David Backes is a center and made it clear that he is planning on playing in the middle right after his new contract was announced.
"“The roles and opponent and how things are going, that can change. But the idea is that I’d be a center, and you’d have Krejci, Bergeron and myself as the top three centers. However you want to number them, that’s up to you. “But (we’re) all three guys that can kind of share that load and be responsible 200-foot players, and when you share that, I think we’ll have a little bit more juice in the tank when it’s either the end of the game or late in the season when you really need that extra jump.”"
Then there is the gift that could be in Jimmy Vesey who could fall into the Bruins lap and drastically improve the top six. Vesey is a left shot left wing but should be able to play his off wing; and would really give the Bruins options with the top nine forwards. His addition would add some needed youth and skill, but he also fits the Bruins type of player to a tee; a good two way player and a 6’3 200 plus pound body to go with it.
Lets just say that Vesey chooses Boston on August 15th. What that could look like.
Marchand-Bergeron-Vesey
Belesky-Krejci-Pastrnak
Spooner-Backes-Vatrano
Griffith- Acciari-Nash/Hayes
Here is something that the Bruins should consider. Krejci has always played well with power forward types alas Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton,a combination of Vesey and Backes would recreate that for him. Then have Pastrnak on the right wing next to Bergeron to hide his defensive deficiencies and take some of the offensive weight off of Brad Marchand. The third line would have Spooner with a speedy skilled winger and a tougher blue collar player with him.
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Vesey-Krejci-Backes
Vatrano-Spooner-Belesky
Griffith- Acciari-Nash/Hayes
This year there could be a ton of moving parts when it comes to lines, and hopefully that is what we see. Obviously the group that the Bruins start the season with won’t be the group they finish with but the core of guys they have should allow for some flexibility up front.
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