Causeway Crowd
Fansided

Random NHL and Boston Bruins Summer Thoughts

Scott Roche|
VANCOUVER - OCTOBER 24: Wacey Rabbit #20 of the Saskatoon Blades watches the action during the Western Hockey League game against the Vancouver Giants at Pacific Coliseum on October 24, 2004 in Vancouver, Canada. The Blades won 4-1. (Photo by Chris Relke/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER - OCTOBER 24: Wacey Rabbit #20 of the Saskatoon Blades watches the action during the Western Hockey League game against the Vancouver Giants at Pacific Coliseum on October 24, 2004 in Vancouver, Canada. The Blades won 4-1. (Photo by Chris Relke/Getty Images)

With the summer months quickly coming to an end, that can mean only one thing, the NHL season is getting closer by the day. With that said, here are some Boston Bruins and NHL thoughts as we inch closer to the opening of the training camp.

  • With the NHL going back to their 82-game normal schedule and season, one thing that will be missed is the two-game, baseball-style series that we had with the 56-game, realigned 2021 season. I know, it’s much harder to do with a “normal NHL season”, but it was a nice quirky schedule to look forward to.
  • It’s going to be nice to have the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens back on the schedule. They were missed last season.
  • Joe Thornton will make a return to Boston this season against the Bruins as a member of the Florida Panthers. Raise your hand if you even envisioned Jumbo Joe wearing a Panthers jersey.
  • Thursday, 2005 Bruins draft pick Wacey Rabbit called it a career when the center announced his retirement. The 154th pick 16 years ago spent two years with the Providence Bruins in 2007-08 and 2008-09, but he unfortunately never made his way to Causeway St.
  • Nice to see former Bruin Marc Savard get a shot coaching the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Windsor Spitfires. It’s too bad he didn’t get a chance to join Bruce Cassidy’s staff this season when Jay Pandolfo left to become an assistant at Boston University.
  • Goalie Dan Vladar was sent to the Calgary Flames in July following the free-agent signing of Linus Ullmark. Drafted in 2015, Vladar was beaten out by Jeremy Swayman, but it was the right move with Ullmark and Swayman under contract, even if Tuukka Rask does return.
  • I’m still a little surprised by David Krejci’s decision to head home to the Czech Republic to continue his career. I get, family comes first, but he was looking at his best preseason linemates in Taylor Hall and Craig Smith in how long?
  • Kind of getting the feeling that Jack Studnicka is going to play a more important role with the Black and Gold this season than we think he will.

There will be plenty of more storylines to come out in the coming weeks as we get closer to training camp, which begins in mid-September at Warrior Ice Arena.

Home/Bruins News