Boston Bruins Future: Torey Krug

The Boston Bruins are a team that is looking towards the future. The Bruins will be undergoing a few changes in the next few years. Zdeno Chara will likely hang up the skates after the end of his current contract. The captaincy will then pass on to Patrice Bergeron.  While that part of the Bruins future is already set in stone, who else among the Black and Gold will become a leader for the Bruins of tomorrow?

Torey Krug will be that future leader for the Boston Bruins.

Torey Krug was one of those players that came nearly out of nowhere. Krug was an undrafted player that was signed by the Boston Bruins back in 2012 out of Michigan State.

The Bruins saw the potential in him, and Krug worked hard to validate the trust they had in him. He got called up to the Bruins during their 2013 Cup run, and he never looked back. He became only the fourth Boston Bruin in the history of the franchise to score goals in his first two playoff games.

In the last few years, Krug  has continued to improve his game and become a better two-way, three zone player for the Black and Gold.  He also doesn’t mind dropping the gloves if he deems it necessary.

He has worked his way up from being the call-up player to becoming the second best defenseman on the Bruins roster. Looking at his overall abilities, he will become the Bruins best blueliner once Zdeno steps down after his contract expires. Krug has modeled his work ethic off the blue-collar ethic that drives a lot of people in Boston.

“I knew that Boston people were hard-working. They work for what they get and they earn it,” said Krug about the people of Boston after signing his new contract last week..

“They’re very deeply involved and tied to their sports teams. But what I didn’t know was how big of a hockey town it is. I grew up in Detroit, which is nicknamed Hockeytown, but going through the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Finals, it really spoke volumes to me.

“And the passion that the fans have for hockey out here and the way the game is, with all the college teams…It seems to be a different culture out here.”

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney certainly believes in Krug’s potential.

“Torey has really been identified as an emerging part of our core leadership group,” offered Sweeney a few weeks ago when Krug was resigned to his four-year deal. “I think he’ll help tremendously to help all of our young players that hope to fall in similar fashion with the success that he’s had up to this point.

“We have a lot of work to do in front of us and Torey’s going to help us get back to where we want to be in trying to win a Stanley Cup each and every year. We’re very, very excited to have him.”

There will be vacancies in the locker room. The loss of Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly mean there are two fewer people wearing the ‘A’ on their jersey. While Brad Marchand seems the current favorite right now to get a letter, Torey Krug could end up getting one to wear on opening night.