Team: 2022-23 Boston Bruins

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 24, 2022

Published: Apr. 24, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

- If DeBrusk’s trade request holds you have to move him and you have to replace him. I think Garland is a comparable player and would be a great fit and word at the deadline was that the Bs were interested. The Canucks are not a great match as a trade partner but the Oilers have long coveted DeBrusk and a three-team deal seems possible.

- Even with the cap going up, the Bruins have no choice but to trim the fat. Foligno has simply not lived up to expectations and needs to move. I get he’s a respected veteran and great locker room influence and chose Boston over other offers, but it hasn’t worked and this is a business. His trade protection drops off this summer- move him or buy him out. Reilly is a good defenseman but the Bruins have their top three LD now and they can find a natural RD equivalent to Reilly for less money on the open market

- Colin Miller needs a year of health and consistency to renew his market value. Why not come back to Boston and play with Forbort, who will do the D work for him? Miller would be a nice short-term add while the Bs evaluate Zboril, Ahcan, and others to take over. Clifton is a nice depth piece but shouldn’t be starting. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think you can re-sign Josh Brown and sneak him through waivers.

- Studnicka and Steen lose their waivers protection next year and will have to be on the roster. McLaughlin could go to the AHL, but so far he has shown no reason why the team should send him down. Those three can battle for fourth line time and maybe get looks at 2C if Haula slows down.

- Ullmark and Swayman split the net again while the team evaluates the future in net. DeSmith takes over as the veteran 3 - an upgrade, but also an injury risk that could allow Keyser and Bussi their fair share of starts

- The P-Bruins will have plenty of depth. The big question is whether Lysell (and to a lesser degree Mantykivi) will be part of that group. Both would be very exciting to watch. Other promising young players will include Merkulov, Beecher, Lauko, and Callahan while the ample veteran presence includes Blidh, Froden, Hughes, Wagner, Brown, and Niku.

- With the second and two thirds, I’d love to get C Danny Zhilkin, LD Simon Forsmark, and LW Jani Nyman. Zhilkin is a big, two-way play-maker who is my favorite center that could conceivably still be around for the Bruins first pick. I would take Forsmark with that pick too; the two-way puck-mover is both skilled and physical but based on what I’ve seen it wouldn’t be a shock to see him slip to the top of the third. Nyman is a player that caught my eye when I was watching an Ilves game to check out Mantykivi. Wouldn’t be a shock if the same thing happened to the Bs - the big sniping winger is hard to miss, even playing a small role in the Liiga.

- With this roster, there aren’t a ton of holes but that cap space will grow and allow for a meaningful deadline move. I purposefully didn’t sign a top-six center because I don’t like this UFA class. But next year I would definitely be in on poaching Horvat or Miller out of Vancouver to sign long-term. Adding Garland could help convince one of those two to sign as well. The 2023 first, Lysell, and Lohrei would remain untouchables.

- While this roster isn’t that much different than this year, don’t rule out the impact of a full year of Lindholm and the carryover chemistry of the second and third lines and second pairing. Even with the same personnel (and a slight upgrade imo with Garland and Miller instead of DeBrusk and Reilly) the Bs can be much better. The depth allows for the possibility of luxury addition or two at the deadline.

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