Boston Bruins: The Upside To The Offseason
It’s been a rough two seasons for the Boston Bruins.
They haven’t made the playoffs, they’ve lost a few key players, and the fan base has lost an awful lot of confidence in the team. The Bruins are even dealing with the rumor that one of their own talked Jimmy Vesey out of signing with Boston. There are still a few positives that have come out of this offseason.
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The Bruins new practice rink will be officially open on September 8. The new facility replaces Ristuccia Arena, the rink that has helped the Bruins for a quarter century.
Frank Vatrano is healthy and will likely see full-time duty in Boston as a middle-six forward. Last season’s AHL Rookie of the Year engages opposing teams through firing salvos at the net. He put up 99 shots in 39 games last year. If he can double his production, and make an impact on the power play, then the Bruins will have one of the most cost-efficent players in the league. (Vatrano’s current contract is a bargain at $792,500).
The Boston Bruins also have cap space. Quite a bit of cap space. With nearly seven million dollars to toss around the Black and Gold can still make a last-minute acquisition. While most of the quality defensemen have been picked up in free agency, the Bruins could still find themselves a diamond in the rough.
The Bruins also have several strong AHL defenseman who will battle for jobs at camp.
David Krejci is inching closer and closer to being 100 percent. Torey Krug is in the same boat. Krejci could even be ready for opening night, with Krug coming back to the Bruins by the end of October.
There’s one more positive piece of news this offseason. The Edmonton Oilers will be required to give the Bruins their second-round draft pick in 2017 for signing Peter Chiarelli. The Bruins have had decent luck with second-round picks in the past. Hopefully, this will work out well for the Black and Gold.
The Boston Bruins look like a team that are ready to wake from a long nightmare. With just a few more tweaks (and perhaps one more good defenseman), the Black and Gold could be back on track.