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Boston Bruins: Expectations will be high next season

By Sam Minton

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 13: Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins walks the red carpet prior to the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Brookfield Place on November 13, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 13: Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins walks the red carpet prior to the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Brookfield Place on November 13, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Boston Bruins
BOSTON, MA – MAY 4: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins talks with Adam McQuaid #54 during the second period of Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Boosting the defense

Entering free agency the Bruins have a glaring hole in their defense. The Bruins have plenty of great right-handed defenseman but are relatively weak on the left side. Zdeno Chara is really the only stereotypical left-handed defenseman on the roster.

It seems like the Bruins are going to try and fill this hole in the offseason.

"“As far as size goes, would it be nice to have a little bigger on the left side other than [Zdeno Chara]? Yes,” said Neely. “So that’s something, I think, Don was going to try and work on this offseason, but that’s not to take away from what the guys did for us that played on the left side this year. I thought they played very well for us.”"

The market for a quality left-handed defenseman is pretty slim. John Carlson is probably the best defenseman on the market, but he is a righty. The only prominent names are Calvin De Haan and Ian Cole. De Haan is a physical defender so he would fit into the Bruins well. Cole would be a good guy for his experience and would solidify the bottom of the Bruins defensive pairings.

There is another interesting opportunity that the Bruins might go after. The Carolina Hurricanes are in full sell mode. One name immediately comes to mind, Noah Hanifin. He grew up in Boston and is a big body who can also score some goals. If the Bruins could somehow take advantage of the Hurricanes situation and land Hanifin it would be a big move. It may mean the departure of Adam McQuaid or a young player in AHL, but it would mean that the Bruins defense would be one of the best in the league.

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