Boston Bruins player preview: F Tomáš Nosek

The Boston Bruins signed forward Tomáš Nosek on the first day of free agency to a two-year, $3.5 million contract. He is not the most popular addition the team has made this summer, but that does not make him a bad one in the slightest. In fact, he has the potential of being a very solid signing for the Bruins moving forward.

Nosek was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and spent the last four seasons there. Before joining them, he was a fringe NHLer who had appeared in 17 games over two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. With the Golden Knights, he had the opportunity to play consistently and cemented himself as a legitimate bottom-six forward at the NHL level.

In his first three seasons with Vegas, Nosek provided decent depth scoring. He had two 15-point campaigns in 67 games for both seasons. During the 2018-19 season, he also had eight goals and nine assists in 68 games. Yet, this past season saw a notable increase in his production, as he had eight goals and a career-high 18 points in just 38 games. If he can contribute like that in Boston, he could be a steal at his $1.75 AAV.

However, even if he drops back to his regular offensive totals, he is still quite affordable and will certainly bring other important aspects to the team, too.

Where will Nosek be slotted in the Bruins’ lineup?

The Bruins have a lot of depth in their bottom-six, which is a very good thing to have. When looking at Nosek specifically, though, it seems likely that he will end up playing center on the fourth-line. He also has the ability to play on the wing, so the team can experiment in many different ways. A line of Trent Frederic, Nosek and Curtis Lazar or Chris Wagner at right wing could work out well. If they elect to use Lazar at center again, Nosek could also play left wing, leaving Frederic as the 13th forward.

It already has been established that Charlie Coyle is the front-runner for the second-line center position. Erik Haula is also more of an offensive threat than Nosek, so he rightfully should be ahead of him on the depth chart. Yet, Nosek as the team’s fourth-line center is not a bad thing at all.

At a minimum, he will produce at a similar level to Sean Kuraly, while also be cheaper.

Nosek also spent a lot of time on Vegas’ penalty kill, so he should be given the shot in Boston, too. With Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron being the main guys on it, Nosek will have a lot of support during these situations. He’s there to provide an extra hand to a penalty kill that is already quite strong.

Unlike fellow newcomer Nick Foligno, Nosek is not necessarily known for playing the heaviest of games. In his 38 games with Vegas this season, he had 51 hits. However, he still does have a bit of tenacity at times, as evidenced by his scuffle with Shea Weber during this past postseason.

Ultimately, Nosek is a player who should help the Bruins at the end of the day. Even if he’s not the most dominant of goal-scorers, he will provide the team with more depth and is an effective two-way forward. It will be entertaining to see what he’s capable of doing as a member of the Black and Gold.