Boston Bruins: Five Players Exceeding Expectations Through 20 Games

The Boston Bruins have gotten off to a historic start just about a quarter through the regular season. It’s no surprise that the core players have been the leaders on and off the ice through the early part of the year. But what about those we didn’t expect much from?

Each year, NESN allows fans to choose the player they deem to have “performed beyond expectations” by awarding its Seventh Player Award. Previous award winners have gone on to have stellar careers in the Black and Gold.

Randy Burridge, Bill Guerin, Tim Thomas, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak are among the players that have exceeded expectations on multiple occasions. The winner is often a rookie, like Jeremy Swayman last season, but this year’s early-season candidates appear to be more experienced.

Before the year began, I wrote a season preview and predicted this year’s Seventh Player to be Fabian Lysell. I figured the Bruins would need some energy in a lineup starved for goals and would look to the rookie for a possible solution. Boston leads the NHL in scoring with 85 goals.

Lysell should still get a chance to play at the highest level (he’s third on the Providence Bruins in points), but I doubt he’ll have as much of an impact as the following five players have had this season.

Hampus Lindholm

PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 01: Hampus Lindholm #27 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck in the overtime period during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 1, 2022, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

The “Sweenius” deserves credit for this one. Most people knew he was a good player after being traded from Anaheim, but Hampus Lindholm has been an absolute stud throughout his (regular season) career for the Bruins.

Boston has definitely locked down a long-term solution to anchor the left side of its defense. Barring injury, it would be a major disappointment for Lindholm not to finish as a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Erik Karlsson is doing insane things in San Jose and is the clear favorite to win the award.

Pavel Zacha

BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 19: Pavel Zacha #18 of the Boston Bruins, skates against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the TD Garden on November 19, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 6-1 and tied the NHL record for consecutive home wins to start a season with 11. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

He’s a third-liner with a top-six upside. If we compare Pavel Zacha to a Bruin of the past, think of Michael Ryder. The former right-winger had 41 points in 79 games during the 2011 Cup run. Through 20 games played, Zacha has recorded 14 points.

Zacha has been one of many swiss-army knives that Jim Montgomery has been able to use throughout the forward group. His versatility has helped keep the scoring balanced among the top-nine players. Zacha was acquired in the off-season for Erik Haula, who has seven points in just as many games for the surprising New Jersey Devils.

Nick Foligno

TAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 21: Nick Foligno #17 of the Boston Bruins looks to pass during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on November 21, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

If Gary Bettman hands Patrice Bergeron the Stanley Cup in June, it won’t take long for him to let veteran forward Nick Foligno touch it for the first time. Foligno has been great for the Bruins this season. His grit is being complimented with an impressive amount of skill.

After already surpassing his previous season’s goal total, Foligno is just one point shy of tying last year’s total. He’s never been an explosive player, but compared to the previous season, Foligno has been able to keep up with every line he’s been placed on. He has even contributed over a quarter of his points on the power play.

Connor Clifton

BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 10: Connor Clifton #75 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his goal against the Calgary Flames during the first period at the TD Garden on November 10, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images) /

He’s already matched his career-high in goals and is averaging more time on the ice than ever before, but Connor Clifton still seems to be flying under the radar as one of the more critical members of the Bruins’ defense.

Clifton is in the final year of a three-year deal and is setting himself up nicely for a decent pay raise in the offseason. I suggest checking out what Michael Najarian contributed to Causeway Crowd last week for an even more in-depth breakdown of how his year has gone.

Linus Ullmark

BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 13: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins makes a save during the second period against the Vancouver Canucks at the TD Garden on November 13, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Nobody expected Linus Ullmark to lead the NHL in goals against or save percentage, let alone both of them. Ullmark has been stellar since the drop of the puck, which is somewhat surprising considering he didn’t finish the postseason as Boston’s starting goaltender.

The injury to Jeremy Swayman may have forced Ullmark into playing more games than was expected, but he has risen to the occasion and is a huge reason for the Bruins’ excellent start to the season. I hope the team can manage Ullmark down the stretch, but he’s on track to reclaim his position as the postseason netminder.

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