The Boston Bruins biggest liability is in it its blueline. Everyone knows it. Don Sweeney and company weren’t able to make any big moves to find the proper person to flesh out the roster. The B’s are hoping to find the right players within the organization to patch up the holes.
This group of players will likely see some NHL time this season. For this group, they might need a little more luck in order to wear the spoked ‘B’ in the 2016-17 season. Still, any one of these three players could be a pleasant surprise for the Bruins organization.
Brandon Carlo: Carlo is the kind of player that Bruins fans would love. He’s an aggressive player who enjoys playing the body.
Carlo’s a solid player with enormous potential. If Carlo can crack the roster, players like Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller (more likely McQuaid) could find themselves as an overpriced redundancy. Carlo will certainly see time in Boston this season.
The promotions of Bruce Cassidy and Jay Pandolfo means there will be a certain push towards younger players. Cassidy is more than familiar with Carlo’s style of play, and Pandolfo will certain see him in action in camp.
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Rob O’Gara: O’Gara is solid defenseman that brings the size of Adam McQuaid and a skill set that resembles Dougie Hamilton while he was with the Bruins. The former Yale Bulldog is growing into his frame and is getting larger and more comfortable with himself.
O’Gara will probably see some action this season in Boston. O’Gara’s chances of Boston ice time are lower than either Carlo or Grelczyk. The Bruins could use him on the bottom pair, and he could be used as a motivational tool for Boston players who are underperforming.
It’s more likely that he’ll spend the season as a bubble player.
Matt Grzelczyk: Grzelczyk is another local product, coming out of Boston University. He signed his entry-level deal with the Bruins earlier in the offseason. Grzelczyk is roughly the same size as Torey Krug, and he possesses a very similar skill set. He can fill in as a ‘fourth forward’ and having another puck-moving defenseman would certainly be a boon to the Bruins.
Grzelczyk’s chances of seeing time in Boston will be determined by injuries. If he does get a chance, he could surprise the fans like Torey Krug did a few years back.