Boston Bruins lackluster offseason could prevent return to playoffs

The Boston Bruins have had a very disappointing offseason so far. Will it prevent them from making the postseason in 2018?

The Boston Bruins had a roller coaster ride of a season in 2016-17. After a sluggish start, they fired long-time head coach Claude Julien. Change wound up being a good thing for them, as new head coach Bruce Cassidy led the team to the playoffs. The Bruins had an 18-8-1 record under him. However, their season came to an end after the Ottawa Senators beat them in six games in the first round.

So far, the Bruins’ only notable addition has been depth defenseman Paul Postma. They’ve also added AHL forward Kenny Agostino, who had 83 points in 65 AHL games last season. But other than that, the Bruins haven’t improved their team from last season. This should be setting off red flags for Boston fans.

Looking at the Atlantic Division, it’s easy to see the Bruins being one of the teams left out in the playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs are probably the favorites to win the Atlantic. If they aren’t, the Tampa Bay Lightning are (assuming they stay healthy). It would be silly to overlook the Montreal Canadiens, with Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin leading the charge. That leaves the Bruins without a top three spot in the division.

The rest of the Atlantic Division is tough as well. While some regression can be expected for the Ottawa Senators, they’re still a talented team. As long as the Senators have star defenseman Erik Karlsson, you can’t count them out of the postseason. The Florida Panthers will likely see some improvement, especially considering the injuries to Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad and Nick Bjugstad derailed their playoff chances. Even the division floor mat Buffalo Sabres are seeing some improvement. A playoff spot for the Bruins is far from a sure thing.

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Boston does have something they can hang their hat on. Their first forward line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak is excellent. Heck, one could argue they are the best trio in the NHL. Marchand and Bergeron each ranked in the top five last season in relative CorsiFor percentage among all forwards with at least 750 minutes at even strength. Looking at raw even strength CorsiFor percentage, each member of the trio ranks in the top four.

The Bruins also have a number of young players who should step into larger roles. While fans should probably pump the brakes on the Charlie McAvoy hype train, the rookie defenseman looked like he belonged on the ice despite making his NHL debut in the postseason. That counts for something. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, a center who was a second round pick in 2015, could push for a roster spot as well after playing one game for the Bruins last season.

2015 first round picks Zachary Senyshyn and Jake DeBrusk are both impressing and could see time in the NHL as soon as next season. Defenseman Brandon Carlo is budding as one of the best defensemen under 21 years old in the league.

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Ironically, all those young players potentially playing big roles is a huge concern. Having young players is not an issue. However, relying on them to play huge roles is. Life in the NHL is hard to adjust to. You’re playing against the best players in the world. These young players will have to adjust to a merciless 82 game season. It’s safe to say some learning pains won’t only be necessary, but also unavoidable.

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Moreover, there is no “plan B” for goaltender Tuukka Rask. He’s coming off two subpar seasons. If Rask fails, next in line are three unproven goalies. Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre haven’t been much to write home about in the AHL. Anton Khudobin is at best unreliable and at worst unplayable. Maybe the Bruins’ elite talent is enough to carry the team to the postseason again. But with the rest of the Atlantic Division pushing forward, Boston is stuck in neutral.

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