Boston Bruins: Time To Sign Lee Stempniak?
Boston Bruins Lee Stempniak has had a rather mobile NHL career. In the 11 seasons he’s been in the league, the 33-year old Stempniak has been a part of nine different organizations. The Bruins quickly found a place for the veteran winger on the second line, and he seems to have found quick chemistry with Boston’s Little Ball of Hate (Brad Marchand) and Mr. Selke himself, Patrice Bergeron.
“He’s one of those players that any team needs, with the style he brings,” Bergeron said. “Any time a player has been traded a lot, it seems like it’s easy for him to get used to the guys and the system. He’s used to it. It helps with the whole transition, with him being comfortable.”
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The new Bergeron line was able to put in a goal past Henrik Lundqvist (technically two, but one was called back for being offsides) in the B’s most recent 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers.
Stempniak has certainly seen a lot of transition in his career. The former Dartmouth player has moved across the continent several times, playing for some great (and not-so-great) hockey clubs. He’s picked up a little bit of everything from each club he’s been a part of, and it has certainly been a benefit to the Bruins.
Claude Julien certainly seems pleased with what Stempniak brings to the table. Stempniak has been a reliable top-six forward in his first few games in Boston. He rounds out the Bergeron line nicely, and has already been able to adapt to Julien’s way of playing defensive-minded hockey.
“Some experience, some speed, some skill,” said Julien of Stempniak. “Again, when you look at that line, a lot of time they’re playing against top lines. He’s been a player you can rely on quite a bit. I think that’s kind of what he’s brought to us here. He’s kind of stabilized our lineup a little bit.”
Stempniak is looking for a team to settle down with. The Bruins could do a lot worse (they signed Zac Rinaldo this season, it’s pretty obvious they can do a lot worse) than offer Stempniak a modest one or two-year contract during the offseason.
Why?
So far, Stempniak has transitioned well into the Bruins roster. Claude Julien has him playing top-six minutes, and feels that Stempniak is a better choice on the Bergeron line than Brett Connolly or Jimmy Hayes (who are both spending more time than not on the fourth line).
He’s a relatively inexpensive option for the B’s (his current one-year deal is only $850,000), and the B’s could sign him for roughly the same amount of money next year. The Bruins still have to sign Brad Marchand next year, and it would be nice to have a little extra money available.
His production is not that far behind Loui Eriksson (55 points for Eriksson verses 48 points for Stempniak.) If the Bruins can’t figure out a way to keep Eriksson, they’ll have someone who can at least play at a comparable level.
The veteran player is looking to find a team to settle down with, and he already has some local roots. He played four seasons in Dartmouth, and he’s moved his family up from New Jersey to be with him. He wants a team he can settle in with, and he’s seems to be happy in Boston.
The Bruins have found a decent player who can help the team going forward. They’d be crazy not to try to keep him around for next season.