Boston Bruins: It’s Time For Daniel Paille
May 14, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Paille (20) and center Gregory Campbell (11) rest in front of the bench after the Montreal Canadiens scored a goal during the third period in game seven of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
When Daniel Paille came to the Boston Bruins via a trade with the Buffalo Sabres back in 2009, one could say he was a player looking for a fresh start. Paille was a first round pick who for the most part failed to meet the expectation set for him during his days in Buffalo. Initially, some analysts saw Paille as a temporary replacement to assist the Bruins at a time where they were dealing with some key injuries. What transpired over the next five seasons was a player finding his niche and growing into having a very important role on a Stanley Cup contending team.
Fast forward to the brink of the 2014-2015 Boston Bruins campaign and Paille will be entering his sixth season with the team. He’s been a staple on the now defunct Merlot line and has been able to showcase his unique skill set on a yearly basis in that role. However, Daniel could very soon find himself in a different position once the season begins and to be honest it’s about time and it makes perfect sense.
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Whether the Bruins want to admit it or not, they are going to have to slightly adapt to the speed that exists within their division. Even though I have been very outspoken about Peter Chiarelli and his mismanagement of the cap, the team has and is still trying to figure out how to integrate speed and quickness into their philosophy in a larger capacity.
One of the ways in which the Bruins can accomplish this is by bumping Daniel Paille up to the third line for the foreseeable future. One of the attractive elements of Daniel Paille’s game is his speed. It has translated into him becoming one of best penalty killers on the team as well as someone who can be relied upon to force turnovers and get the puck moving quickly up to the other end of the ice.
These attributes seem to match what Claude Julien eluded to as being a potential change of focus as it regards their approach. The Bruins are going to try to integrate speed into their game on a more consistent basis and with the recent announcement of Torey Krug and Reilly Smith being brought back into the mix, the Bruins top two lines seem solidified with Loui Eriksson moving up to the vacant wing spot left behind by Jarome Iginla.
Peter Chiarelli has already come out and stated that he has a new vision with the fourth line and that speed could be at the center of this movement. With Gregory Campbell potentially starting the season watching the game from the top level of the TD Garden, the Bruins could be forced to sit Paille on that line to ensure there’s some level of stability. However, once Campbell returns the Bruins would be smart to finally give Paille the opportunity he has worked so hard for in bumping up to the third line for the foreseeable future.
The Bruins will have plenty of young players itching and scratching to make an impact on their fourth line. Funny, we were saying the same thing about Daniel Paille back in 2009 and now we see the path he has left behind with his consistency and overall leadership. The time is now for him to see if he can take a next step in his game.