Boston Bruins: Ondrej Kase should be the second line right wing

The Boston Bruins should give the role of second line right wing to Ondrej Kase.

The Boston Bruins have several uncertainties going into the 2020-21 NHL season — one of these being the role of their second line right wing.

The Bruins have been searching for an answer to this role for years now, and they might finally have the solution with Ondrej Kase.

Kase was acquired by the Bruins near this year’s trade deadline. This deal saw the Bruins send their first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and forward David Backes to the Anaheim Ducks for Kase.

Over four seasons in the NHL, Kase has played in 204 games and has scored 97 points (43 goals and 54 assists). This season, between the Ducks and Bruins, Kase had 24 points (seven goals and 17 assists) in 55 games.

This may not seem like second line quality, however, before being acquired by the Bruins, Kase had registered 23 points (seven goals and 16 assists) in 49 games with the Ducks — this on pace for 38 points in a full 82-game season.

Why should the Boston Bruins choose Ondrej Kase for their second line right wing?

There’s no question that Kase took some time to gain his footing in the Bruins lineup after being acquired this past February — in six games he registered just one assist.

However, in the playoffs Kase seemed to find some chemistry with his linemates of left wing Jake DeBrusk and center David Krejci. In 11 games Kase recorded four assists.

Additionally, so far throughout his short NHL career, Kase has been on pace for 45-plus points twice — the first time in 2017-18 where he was on pace for 47 points and the second the next year when he was on pace for 54 points.

The problem with Kase is not his ability to put up points, it’s his ability to stay healthy as he’s never played more than 70 games in a season and has played more than 60 just once.

There’s more to Kase than just his offensive ability that makes him a second-line right wing. At just 24 years old, Kase is smart with the puck. Over the last two seasons, he has more takeaways than giveaways.

Overall, I think the best reason to slot Kase on the second line is that he already played on that line in the playoffs. If you watched the Bruins in the playoffs, you saw that Kase really started to mesh well with DeBrusk and Krejci.

The most likely scenario is that Kase ends up on the second line. Unless a miracle happens where the Bruins are able to sign unrestricted free agent (UFA) winger Mike Hoffman and re-sign restricted free agent (RFA) DeBrusk, it’s either going to be Craig Smith or Kase as the second line right wing.