Forwards protected by the Bruins.
As mentioned earlier, the B’s went with the seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie protection option. The forwards included:
- Patrice Bergeron – center
- Brad Marchand – left wing
- David Pastrnak – right wing
- Charlie Coyle – center
- Craig Smith – right wing
- Jake DeBrusk – left wing
- Trent Frederic – center
Reason for protection:
Bergeron, Marchand, and Coyle:
All three of these forwards have one thing in common: NMCs. Having a NMC means they must be protected. Besides Coyle, they almost certainly would’ve been protected anyway.
Pastrank and Smith:
The team’s top two right wings. Pastrnak is one of the league’s top goal scorers and nearly potted 50 in a shortened 2019-20 season. Smith is an almost-guarantee for 20+ goals a season and proved to be a vital part of the second line after Taylor Hall was acquired.
DeBrusk:
Many fans wanted DeBrusk to be left exposed after a horrid season. But the fact is that DeBrusk has scored 20+ goals in two out of four NHL seasons and nearly scored 20 again in a shortened 2019-20. Maybe with fans and being able to go about his business without restrictions will resurrect the young winger.
Frederic:
Frederic signed a two-year extension with the B’s nearly a month ago now. Some thought it was to leave him exposed, but it appears to be more of an actual bridge deal now that he has been protected. Being able to play both left wing and center makes him versatile and he has shown that he can do other things besides hit the opposition. Freddy could be a huge part of the B’s bottom-six for a while if he can develop.
Forwards left exposed by the Bruins:
- Nick Ritchie – left wing
- Curtis Lazar – center
- Chris Wagner – right wing
- Ondrej Kase – right wing
- Karson Kuhlman – right wing
Reason for exposure:
Ritchie:
Ritchie scored a career-high 15 goals this season but most of the goals came early on in the season. He faded out as the season went on and was basically invisible at the end in the postseason. The RFA showed he’s not capable of doing anything else when he isn’t scoring and only has one way of scoring — from the net front off of rebounds and deflections.
Lazar:
Lazar played well during his short stint with the B’s after being acquired at the trade deadline. However, he’s nothing more than a bottom-six forward and doesn’t deserve protection over any of the forwards protected.
Wagner:
After a very good first season with Boston, Wagner has struggled a bit the previous two seasons. After receiving a three-year extension in November of 2019, the B’s may not even have him in the lineup everyday just two years into the deal.
Kase:
Acquired at the 2020 trade deadline, Kase was brought in the serve as David Krejci’s right wing. However, he’s spent much more time in the press box rather than on the ice as he’s struggled to stay healthy. He also just hasn’t produced when actually healthy.
Kuhlman:
Kuhlman is a hardworking forward, but just doesn’t have the necessary skill to play more than bottom-six minutes. He could possibly replace Wagner on the fourth line in 2021-22 if Wagner continues playing poorly, but other than that he isn’t anything special.