Center depth was a priority for the Boston Bruins over the summer in the wake of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announcing their retirements. That depth is currently getting tested, as Pavel Zacha missed Wednesday’s game with an injury and Jim Montgomery has shown no hesitation to keep rookie Matt Poitras on the bench.
As a result, the four centers in the Bruins 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday were Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, Poitras, and Johnny Beecher. On the roster, the Bruins also have Trent Frederic and Oskar Steen who can play the middle if need be.
The Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence is sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-8-2-2 record and 30 points. With the center depth in Boston being tested, what does the pipeline look like in Providence?
Jesper Boqvist
The Bruins opted to give Boqvist the call-up from Providence when they needed an extra skater. Although Boqvist didn’t play in the Devils game, he’s a left-shot center who can add a bit of scoring, although he’d really be expected to fill a bottom-six role, with defense being the priority. He hasn’t lit the world on fire in Providence, but he’s a serviceable option.
Patrick Brown
At this point, the Bruins know exactly what they’re going to get from Patrick Brown. A fourth-line center with limited upside offensively, but who doesn’t make a ton of mistakes defensively. Brown is an unspectacular player who doesn’t move the needle, but when you need a center, there are worse options than Patrick Brown.
Marc McLaughlin
Breaking into the league towards the end of 2021-2022 straight out of Boston College with a pretty good showing, the Bruins have seemingly buried McLaughlin in Providence ever since, only playing two games in the NHL last year and none so far this year.
McLaughlin is a middle-six option who has upside with scoring and defense and is also versatile, able to play the wing and slot anywhere in the lineup. He’s a guy who deserves a call-up and can play well in the NHL.
Georgii Merkulov
Merkulov is a highly-touted scorer who has been enjoying plenty of success in Providence. While he could perhaps be better suited on the wing, he’s played center in Providence and could do the same in the NHL.
After a 55-point season in 2022-2023, Merkulov has nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points through 25 games for Providence, averaging just under a point per game. Merkulov would certainly create a buzz in Boston thanks to his scoring prowess, but he likely won’t be a primary option for a call-up this year.
Jayson Megna
Megna was a minor addition by the Bruins this summer as they added some depth down the middle. He wouldn’t get called up unless the team was riddled with injuries everywhere, but he does bring lots of NHL experience with him.
He played in 55 games last year between the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks and has played 203 games over nine years, with 12 goals and 21 assists to his name. He’s a bottom-six grinder who isn’t very different than what’s currently on the roster, with the exception of experience, which none of Beecher, Steen, or Jakub Lauko can offer on the fourth line.