Boston Bruins Top Five Defensemen Midpoint 2016-17

At the Midpoint of the 2016-17 Season, Here are the Top-Five Boston Bruins Defensemen

The defense of the Boston Bruins has been under scrutiny for years. While the team once boasted one of the strongest defensive groups in the entire league, that all changed seemingly out of nowhere due to various circumstances. Age finally caught up to Zdeno Chara, who is still a very good defenseman, but simply can’t log the minutes as effectively as he once did as a phenomenal shutdown defender. Former-Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg ran into injury trouble that fast-forwarded his aging as well. Johnny Boychuk and Dougie Hamilton were traded, and in the end, the Bruins never really brought anybody in to replace any of these players.

There are a multitude of young defensive prospects currently developing for Boston. The future looks bright with the likes of Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, and Colin Miller seeming like the future of defense in Boston. Still, that doesn’t help now as the only players currently on the Bruins roster are Carlo and Miller – the latter of whom hasn’t been given consistent playing time at the NHL to this point in his career.

The defense of the Bruins hasn’t looked horrible this season, but it’s a far-cry from a Stanley Cup contending group. Without further delay, here are the top-five Bruins’ defensemen at the midpoint of the 2016-17 NHL season.

Adam McQuaid – 47 Games – One Goal, Two Assists, Three Points – ATOI: 17:31

Adam McQuaid is a tough hockey player. Despite dealing with multiple injuries over the last few seasons, nobody prides themselves on defending his teammates more than McQuaid. On a Bruins team that always defends its own, holding this distinction is admirable.

Though he’s not a top-four defenseman, McQuaid is still a good bottom-pairing player. Unfortunately, the Bruins utilize McQuaid on their second pairing due to a lack of talent on the backend. This isn’t McQuaid’s fault, but in a frustrating time when the Bruins look like they could miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, McQuaid is often the recipient of the fans’ ire.

Related Story: Adam McQuaid Brings Back Old Time Hockey

McQuaid has never been an offensive force. He’s never been the player that the team relies on for points, or even for mobility. What McQuaid does bring to the table, however, is a hard-nosed style player that wears down opponents with his physical play. At six foot four, 212 pounds, McQuaid isn’t afraid to use his size to help his team.

Still, McQuaid very clearly isn’t a top defenseman in the NHL. The Bruins lack of defensive starpower is evident by the ice time that McQuaid receives. While it’s not his fault that he plays in a top-four role, it’s still not encouraging for Bruins fans to see such a stagnant transaction history on the back-end in terms of talent addition. The exception to that would be the drafting of Brandon Carlo – though nobody could have seen him stepping up so soon in his career.

Colin Miller – 36 Games – Three Goals, Three Assists, Six Points – ATOI: 16:30

Colin Miller is an interesting case. He’s seen inconsistent NHL ice time over the last few seasons. He’s only recorded six goals and 22 points in 78 games over two seasons. Additionally, he’s been bounced around from pairing-to-pairing. Despite all this, Miller has shown that he has legitimate NHL talent.

In the AHL, Miller was a phenom. The former fifth-round draft pick has played in 155 AHL contests, recorded 28 goals and 81 points. His best season came in 2014-15 with the Manchester Monarchs when he scored 19 goals and 52 points in 70 games. He also was named to the AHL All-Star game where he won both the faster skater and hardest shot competitions.

Related Story: Colin Miller is Willing to Fight for His Team

At the NHL level, Miller hasn’t gotten consistent ice time – when he has played, though, it’s been a roller coaster. He’s unpredictable, to say the least, but he’s fun to watch. Aside from Torey Krug (who holds a 59.77 Corsi-for percentage), Miller has the second-best mark on the team with a 59.08 CF%. Most recently, Miller has received playing time alongside Kevan Miller on the Bruins bottom-pairing. In that role, he’s been able to maintain very positive possession numbers, regardless of how Kevan Miller does himself.

Consistency is Important

By all accounts, Colin Miller is producing like a top-pairing defenseman in both possession and point rate. This can be seen visually when looking at Miller’s HERO Chart. Miller certainly has a lot of work to do to gain the trust of Claude Julien. This isn’t a slight at Miller’s ability or development – it’s simply the way it is for young defensemen like Miller, especially when joining a Bruins team that prides itself in accountability.

Miller looks like he could be a big part of the Bruins future if he can continue to develop the way he has been. He’s not going to be a shutdown defenseman, but he simply fits the mold of new NHL defensemen. He’s a solid skater with speed, has a phenomenal shot, and has good awareness on the ice. Despite some inconsistencies, Miller is worth rolling from game-to-game – especially if the Bruins remain a long-shot for the playoffs this season.

Torey Krug – 52 Games – Four Goals, 27 Assists, 31 Points – ATOI: 22:03

Torey Krug has become a legitimate top-four defenseman. Once thought of as a purely offensive player, the 25-year-old is finally starting to show that he can play a decent defensive game. This isn’t to say that Krug will ever be a shutdown defenseman, but he doesn’t have to be. A decent defensive game is all that’s needed with the offensive ability he provides to the Bruins.

Related Story: Torey Krug Heating Up

His development over the last few seasons has been evident. When looking at the Bruins roster, there is simply no comparable player. No other defender on the team can jump up on a rush as effectively as the Michigan-native, and no Bruins defenseman looks as comfortable with the puck on his stick. That’s not to say that there aren’t other Bruins with the potential to do so – Colin Miller stands out immediately in that regard, it’s simply the proven track record of Krug who seems to be finding his scoring touch again as of late.

Averaging 22:03 minutes of ice time per game, it looks like Krug is earning the trust of Julien. In a system that’s always boasted accountability as a priority, Krug is looking more and more like a perfect fit for the system.

Close Comparables

When looking at Krug’s contract, many critics have made their opinions known. Krug’s cap hit comes in at $5.25 million over the next four years. When looking at comparables, who make between $4.5 million and $5.5 million who are roughly the same age as Krug (between 22 and 27 years old), it’s clear that Krug is paid exactly what he should be.

• Torey Krug – $5.25 million – Four Years – 52 Games – Four Goals, 27 Assists, 31 Points
• Jared Spurgeon – $5.187 million – Four Years- 44 Games – Six Goals, 16 Assists, 22 Points
• Tyson Barrie – $5.5 Million – Six Years – 42 Games – Three Goals, 20 Assists, 23 Points
• Hampus Lindholm – $5.25 million – Six Years – 38 Games – Three Goals, Five Assists, Eight Points
• Sami Vatanen – $4.875 Million – Four Years – 47 Games – Two Goals, 15 Assists, 17 Points
• Seth Jones – $5.4 million – Six Years – 42 Games – Seven Goals, 17 Assists, 24 Points

When looking at the comparables, Krug is clearly playing right within his pay scale. Defensively, he may not be as good as some of the players on the list – but in that respect, he’s also very noticeable better offensively.

In all, Krug has been one of the Bruins best players this season. In a time of transition for the Bruins, Krug has established himself as one of the most valuable players on the team.

Brandon Carlo – 52 Games – Four Goals, Eight Assists, 12 points – ATOI: 21:30

Brandon Carlo is 20-years-old. Not many teams can boast a 20-year-old playing top-pairing minutes, but the Boston Bruins are fortunate enough to do so. Despite the many struggles that the team has dealt with, Carlo has been a bright spot. A beacon of light of things to come for a team in dire need of a remodeled defensive grouping.

Carlo is an example of a young player who has done it right. After being drafted in the second round in 2015, Carlo worked hard to show the Bruins that he was close to NHL-ready. In doing so, he earned a contract and earned an opportunity with the Providence Bruins to close out the season. Ultimately, Carlo earned a job on the starting roster this season, and he hasn’t looked back. While many look at Claude Julien and criticize his ability to utilize young players, Carlo debunks that theory. Young players can play under Julien, they just need to earn the time.

Related Story: Brandon Carlo Shines Even in Bad Games

For Carlo, there have been ups-and-downs. There’s no denying that he has work to do to become a legitimate No. 1, shutdown defender. Still, his ability to learn from his mistakes has been apparent all year. He’s brought new life into captain Zdeno Chara on the team’s top pairing, which has also given Carlo an opportunity to learn from one of the best in history.

Shutdown Defenseman

Carlo likely won’t ever been a legitimate offensive threat. The system is full of players that could be, however. From Torey Krug and Colin Miller to Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Lauzon – there is offensive potential. Jakub Zboril plays a hybrid role, but Carlo represents the team’s only real defenseman in the mold of a shutdown defender.

Carlo is getting the opportunity to shine, and he’s made the best of it so far. So long as he remains a member of the team past this season, the Bruins may very well have their heir apparent to Chara.