Boston Bruins Fourth Line Prediction

Boston Bruins forward

Chris Kelly

tries to hold onto the puck. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2015-16 season getting closer, NHL teams are preparing to look at what they have in terms of players and roster-bubble players to form their best possible lines to start the season. The Boston Bruins are going to look far different from the team they deployed last season, and have a few options for pairings.

The first line should be Patrice Bergeron at center flanked by Brad Marchand and Jimmy Hayes at the wing positions. The second line, or line 1B, should be David Krejci at center with line-mates Matt Beleskey and Brett Connolly. The third line should consist of two of the youngest Bruins forwards Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak, with 2-way forward Loui Eriksson flanking the left-wing.

The final line for the Boston Bruins will prove to be a revolving door of players getting the opportunity to show why they are best suited for the spot to provide energy in important situations. While players like Brian Ferlin, Anthony Camara, Seth Griffith, and Alexander Khokhlachev will be trying to show why they deserve a regular roster spot, the line is widely believed to be Zac Rinaldo on the left wing, with Chris Kelly at center, and Max Talbot at right wing.

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Zac Rinaldo was acquired in a trade with the Flyers with a third round draft pick in 2017 going the other way. It has been heavily considered a lopsided deal in favor of the Flyers, and it’s not hard to see why. Rinaldo has done little to show he deserves a regular roster spot on an NHL roster. While it’s true he constantly provides energy for his teams, he also gets called for unacceptable penalties at the most inopportune times constantly.

The fact that GM Don Sweeney traded so much to acquire Rinaldo makes it likely that he will get the first opportunity to play on the fourth line left wing, even with a similar in-house player like Anthony Camara. Rinaldo could become more of a plug-and-play player, but Claude Julien should give him the chance to earn his place with the Bruins before permanently promoting one of the young players like Camara.

Chris Kelly has been split between left wing and center duties for the better part of two seasons now, and has shown very good strides defensively, as well as on the penalty kill and in the face-off circle. The issue with Chris Kelly is that he is being paid $3 million a season because he had one 20 goal season with the Bruins, and was a big contributor in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs; he hasn’t put up more than 9 goals or 29 points since.

One of the major downfalls of Peter Chiarelli was his inability to properly assess players before handing out hefty contracts, which led to the end of his tenure as the Boston Bruins General Manager. Chris Kelly could still be a trade possibility heading into the preseason, which bodes well for players like Ferlin, and Griffith who are right wings, as Talbot is a natural center. It also bodes well for Alexander Khokhlachev who has shown he can be a very effective hockey player at the AHL level, and if a spot at center opens up, he should put in the extra effort to show that he deserves full-time duties.

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Boston Bruins forward

Maxime Talbot

. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Max Talbot was nothing spectacular for the Boston Bruins last season after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Avalanche, putting up 3 points in his 18 games with the B’s. Talbot did provide energy though, which is exactly what Boston needs from their fourth line. The fan-favorite Merlot Line was notorious for starting play in the defensive zone, finishing in the attacking zone, generating enough energy for the Bergeron or Krejci lines to finish the job and put pressure on the opposing teams lines.

Talbot is a responsible defensive player who has a lot of experience, and can be inserted at any time throughout the season, if he isn’t seen as a good option for a full-time position anymore. Whether that be because he is slowing down, or because some of the young talent is forcing the hand of Claude Julien is left to be determined.

The line combinations in Boston can go any-which-way, and any prediction can easily be debunked. With that being said, who do YOU think should be on the fourth line?

Check out the first line prediction here if you haven’t already seen it, and for the second line prediction, click here, as well as the third line prediction here! If there is any interest in a defensive pairing prediction, leave a comment below!