The Boston Bruins fourth line shone during their Stanley Cup Playoff run and could well see an increase in their ice-time next season.
Whilst Noel Acciari has moved on from the Boston Bruins, headed to the Florida Panthers, the fourth line from the playoff run is still for the most part intact. You have Sean Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom all expected to be regulars in the line-up this coming season.
Given the movement within the line-up; the arrivals of Par Lindholm and Brett Ritchie specifically, not seeming to be moves aimed at improving the top-six, you’d have to assume they’ll be expected to slot in alongside the likes of Danton Heinen and possibly Charlie Coyle, if he doesn’t end up with second line winger minutes.
That or they’ll end up propping up a new-look fourth line alongside the likes of David Backes and possibly some graduates from the Providence Bruins. The fourth line from the playoff run certainly showed enough to be given much greater responsibility.
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There were games in the Stanley Cup run that Sean Kuraly was responsible for the opening puck drop; this suggests that Bruce Cassidy trusts the line to step up and show a level of responsibility not often given to a bottom grouping.
In days gone by, this was the line you placed your goons, your tough guys that lacked great hockey skill, but offered plenty in the toughness department. Nowadays, the shift has become so apparent, especially with the Boston Bruins, that it is by no means a crazy thought that they could expect third line minutes and fit right in with an elevated role.
If you look through the ice-time given out during the run to the Stanley Cup Final, this line was at times the second line based solely on the amount of time they spent skating. That was 100% intentional – it’s not a mistake on the coach’s part, it was an intended move to slow their opponents with strong fore-checking and playing in a manner that is equal parts skilled and heavy.
Moving into a new season, it all depends on the expectations placed upon the new signings and whether anyone is making the step up.
If some of the Providence crowd end up stepping into NHL roles, you’d expect the fourth line remains the fourth line. If not, there is absolutely no reason not to expect third line minutes for them.
Perhaps most telling is the shift in the modern-day NHL. The Boston Bruins are faced with the challenge of working out what the bottom-six looks like, rather than the top-six. To have a dilemma in the bottom half of your line-up is never a bad thing!