Tag Archives: NHL

Boston Bruins History: Bruins Brawl in the Stands

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers were bitter rivals in the ‘70s. The rivalry, at times, was just as intense as the rivalry between Boston and Montreal. On the night of December 23, 1979, closing in on the end of the decade, the Rangers hosted the Bruins at Madison Square Garden. They were having a good game, leading the Bruins 3-1 in the third. The Bruins came back, however, scoring three unanswered goals from Terry O’Reilly, Bobby Lalonde, and Stan Jonathan. They won the game 4-3. The comeback and how fast it happened caused a lot of anger. As a result, the fans became especially vocal and threw things onto the ice.

A Physical Game

The teams were physical throughout the night with a few fights and big hits. At the final buzzer Bruins left winger Al Secord tripped Rangers center Ulf Nilsson with his stick and chaos ensued. Nilsson had been badgered all night and this was the tipping point. John Davidson, the Rangers goalie, took issue with Secord and skated across the ice and hit him into the boards, starting a brawl.

Terry O’Reilly climbs into the stands at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 23, 1979.

The Fans Join In

In addition to the fighting, a fan in the New York stands reached over the glass and hit Bruins left winger Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan in the face with a rolled up program, drawing blood. Tempers were flaring and, because of that, more fans reached over the glass and began punching the Bruins. Jonathan raised his stick instinctively and someone in the crowd took it from him. After that, right winger Terry “Taz” O’Reilly climbed over the glass, into the stands, and started fighting the fans. The fans jumped on O’Reilly and one even took off their belt and swung it as a weapon. Eighteen members of the Bruins climbed into the stands to help, and a brawl with the fans was on.

The “Shoe Incident”

Defenseman Mike Milbury was already off the ice and in the locker room, celebrating the win. He noticed the locker room was close to empty. When goalie Gerry Cheevers entered, Milbury asked where everyone was. Cheevers told him about the skirmish, so Milbury went to check it out. He got back to the ice just in time to see O’Reilly go into the stands and get swarmed by fans throwing punches. Milbury skated over and joined the fight to back up his teammate.

John Kaptain, a businessman from New Jersey, ended up shoved into a seat. Mike Milbury took off Kaptain’s shoe and hit him with it, thereby creating the infamous “shoe incident”. Milbury later said, “I wanted to protect (O’Reilly); the team. It was the thing to do… The worst thing I did was throw the shoe on the ice, which I thought was the perfect medicine. And he got a slap on the thigh with his cheap penny loafer.”

Front Page of the New York Daily News, Dec. 24th, 1979.

Aftermath

As a result of the fiasco, the fallout came swiftly. John Kaptain was arrested for disorderly conduct. Terry O’Reilly was suspended eight games and Mike Milbury and Peter McNab were each suspended six for their roles in the brawl. All eighteen players that went into the stands were fined $500. The decision to install higher glass panels at every NHL arena was made almost immediately, therefore similar events were prevented in the future. The Big Bad Bruins lived up to their name countless times throughout the ‘70s. Fighting the New York Rangers and their fans was arguably the quintessential moment of it.

NHL Lobbies for O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal

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In January of 1958, against the rival Montreal Canadiens, Willie O’Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. In doing so he became the first black player in the NHL. Now 61 years later, the NHL is lobbying for O’Ree, 83, to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. It’s the highest civilian award that Congress can give.

Facing Racism

O’Ree faced many hardships throughout his career. He had to put up with racist taunts from other players, as well as fans, on a regular basis. He once recounted that fans would yell things such as, “How come you’re not picking cotton?” and, “Go back to the South!” Yet Willie stood his ground and persevered. Between major and minor leagues O’Ree played 21 years, and he’s commonly described as “the Jackie Robinson of hockey”.

25-year-old left wing Willie O’Ree, the first black player of the National Hockey League, warms up in his Boston Bruins uniform, prior to the game with the New York Rangers, at New York’s Madison Square Garden, on November 23, 1960. (AP Photo)

Hockey For Life

After his playing career ended in 1979, Willie O’Ree stayed with hockey. He’s been the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador since 1998, promoting inclusion and confidence in youth hockey programs throughout North America. In 2018 the NHL created the annual Willie O’Ree award for the person who made a positive impact on their community through hockey. Making 2018 even more significant, O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Congressional Gold Medal

Now, Senator Tim Scott of North Carolina and Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan are co-sponsoring a bill, along with the NHL, to award Willie O’Ree with the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to promote diversification and community wellness through hockey.

Speaking to O’Ree at a press conference, Sen. Scott said, “You were the grandson of slaves from South Carolina. I would just like to put the icing on the cake from my perspective that this country continues to evolve in the right direction. That in a time and date when there’s so much incivility, so much division and polarization, the one thing that you represent today is what you represented in 1958, is that, in this country, all things are possible.”

Why the Danton Heinen signing is great for the Boston Bruins

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On Monday the Boston Bruins announced the signing of forward Danton Heinen to a two year 2.8 million dollar deal. Despite the rather confusing outrage from the Bruins fanbase, the signing came rather cheap. Lets take a look at the a few of the important details before we make permanent judgements on the deal.

Short track record

Despite already having two full years of NHL experience, Danton Heinen is only 24 years old. He’s shown signs of being a very good, playmaking goal scorer. Some of his talent is raw and untouched, but he’s by no means a virgin on the highlight reel. When Danton Heinen is on the ice, good things happen.

One issue that comes with being young and versatile on a team like this Boston Bruins team, run by Bruce Cassidy, is that its hard to find fulltime line mates. If Heinen can get a full season as a member of the Boston Bruins second line I think his numbers will jump drastically. Heinen’s best season came one season ago in the 2017-2018 campaign. Danton played 77 games and accounted for 47 points, 16 goals and 31 assists. While the numbers don’t jump off the page, its shows that he’s more than a one trick pony.

One more thing to take note is that 12 of those points came on the power play. While its easy to say that its always easier to score on the power play, having an impact on the power play for a team who depends on it as much as this Boston Bruins team is certainly a way top get you to stick around for a while.

How does the deal compare to the rest?

If you compare the money of Danton Heinen’s contract to the other contracts that are similar, there is absolutely nothing to worry about with this deal. All but two players with a contact that is comparable are older than Heinen, and all but two are within 10 points of Heinen’s deal. Heinen also has the highest plus minus rating of all comparable deals. That stat goes right back to my point that good things happen when he’s on the ice.

Stability for top lines

I mentioned here that the Bruins have a bit of a depth issue on the wings. Heinen provides two more years of top nine forward stability for a team that desperately needs it. Whether he’s on the top line with Bergy or on the second line with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci, Heinen will play an important role. Signing Danton Hienen gives the Bruins a little bit of breathing room at the wing position.

Turning heads

With Marcus Johannson signing with the Sabres and Noel Acciari signing with the Panthers, signing Danton Heinen checks number three off the free agent to do list for the Bruins. Numbers one and two still remain unsigned. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo have yet to sign, and the issue is cap room. After Heinen’s signing the Bruins now have about $8 Million to spend between the two. All heads will turn to Don Sweeney and the Bruins front office now. A trade or two might be the only option to bring both Carlo and McAvoy back. Don Sweeney is on the clock.

What Will the Bruins Do with McAvoy and Carlo

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On Tuesday night the Boston Bruins announced they signed restricted free agent Danton Heinen to a two-year deal with a $2.8 million cap hit. The NHL salary cap for the 2019-2020 season is $81.5 million, and the Bruins have about $8 million available. Now that Heinen is signed, what will be done with Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo? McAvoy played 54 regular season games with 7 goals and 21 assists, totaling 28 points. In the post season he played 23 games with 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points. Carlo played 72 regular season games, tallying 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points. In the postseason he played 24 games with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points total.

Navigating the Cap

Last season Brandon Carlo was not as productive in points as Charlie McAvoy, but they’re both effective on the ice and bring speed and physicality to the team. Both are also now restricted free agents who want (and deserve) bigger contracts. With so little cap space, however, this will be a difficult task. The Bruins have a few options to explore, the most likely will be to trade players who are older and less productive. Defenseman John Moore, 28, is a likely candidate with a cap hit of $2.75. After 61 games played in the regular season, Moore got only 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points. He played 10 postseason games and went pointless. Likewise, injury-prone defenseman Kevan Miller, 31, has a cap hit of $2.5 million and missed much of last season and the entirety of the postseason.

Trading Backes

David Backes is the subject of much discussion in this regard. He’s 35 with an annual cap hit of $6 million. He’s not as productive as he once was, and was a healthy scratch during stretches both in the regular and postseason. Trading Backes would free up a lot of space to sign McAvoy and Carlo, but can the Bruins find a team willing to take on those cap hits? There are teams out there with a large enough gap. Teams like Colorado, Winnipeg, and Ottawa all have over $20 million available, and could be good trade targets.

Bridge Contracts

Another option would be bridge contracts. While McAvoy and Carlo likely want larger, long-term contracts, they could be signed to short term contracts with the understanding that they’ll be revisited in a couple of years, once contracts expire for players such as Backes, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask.

McAvoy is the Priority

One more potential solution, though not necessarily the most desirable, would be to only sign one of the two. If that’s the case, it has to be Charlie McAvoy. His production, ice time, and style of play makes him an obvious franchise player. You can count on the fact that the Bruins will sign McAvoy no matter what.

Boston Bruins History: The Kraut Line Part 2

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At the height of their success, the Kraut Line for the Boston Bruins was off to war. North America had stayed out of the conflict for the most part, but when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor the future was set. Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer had previously joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and it was time for deployment.

30 January 1942 Medical Exam Recruits: Bobby Bauer; Milt Schmidt; “Woody” Dumart
Photo by DND Archives

When the time came to go to war, the trio of friends were concerned about their German heritage and how it would be perceived by the other troops. Schmidt asked his mother’s permission to change his last name from Schmidt to Smith. His mother gave permission but ultimately Schmidt thought better of it. Speaking with Jeff Blair of Sportsnet in 2014, Milt said, “To heck with it. What was good enough for my mother and dad is good enough for me.” It turned out to be a moot point, as well. The troops knew quite well who he was and were more than happy to have him with them.

Hockey During the War

During World War II Dumart and Schmidt were stationed in northern England. They were there for three years and, despite the war, couldn’t leave hockey on hold. Since they couldn’t play in the NHL, they joined the RCAF League consisting of 12 teams. Milt Schmidt and Woody Dumart played for opposing teams, and Dumart’s won the Championship. The following season, however, revenge would be had when Bobby Bauer arrived in England and was assigned to Schmidt’s team. They beat Dumart’s team and won the Championship in 1944. Perfectly summing up the talent of the trio of The Kraut Line, even when separated, they each won a hockey championship in consecutive seasons.

Milt Schmidt showing off his RCAF hockey gear.
Photo by DND Archives

In 1945 it was finally time to come home. Milt Schmidt later recalled, “Bob went home first. I remember that. Woody and I ended up on the same boat home. Actually, he was going to be going home before I did because I was going to be assigned to another post in the east. I’m not sure I ever knew where that post was. But then good ol’ Harry (Truman) saved me. He dropped the bomb and that ended it.”

Returning Home and to the Bruins

Upon their return home, the Kraut Line reunited with the Boston Bruins for the 1946 season. They hadn’t missed a beat, they were on form and dominating games. And they returned to a bit of controversy as well. Not wanting to be considered politically incorrect after the war, the Bruins held a contest to rename “The Kraut Line”. The winning nickname was “The Buddy Line”. The fans never took the new name seriously, and it only lasted about a month before “The Kraut Line” was permanently reattached to the trio.

While they returned to form and played their always fierce and intense game, Schmidt, Bauer, and Dumont wouldn’t win another Stanley Cup as players (though Schmidt would win two more in 1970 and ’72 as Bruins General Manager). Bobby Bauer won the Lady Byng again in 1947, and Schmidt won the Hart Trophy for MVP in 1951.

The End of an Era

The Kraut Line officially ended with Bauer’s retirement in 1947. Dumart retired in 1954, and Schmidt retired part-way through the following season to take over as the Bruins head coach. All three of them played their entire careers for the Boston Bruins. After his retirement, Bobby Bauer went back to Kitchener, Ontario, where he coached several amateur hockey teams. He died of a heart attack in 1964, at the age of 49. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.

Woodrow Wilson Clarence “Woody” Dumart remained in Boston, where he worked as the official scorer at Boston Garden, as well as being the coach of the Bruins’ Alumni Association Team. He died from heart failure in 2001 at age 84. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Milt Schmidt went from star Bruins player to Bruins Head Coach for 11 seasons before becoming General Manager. He won a total of four Stanley Cups, all with the Bruins organization. In 1980 Schmidt’s #15 jersey was retired, and to this day he’s known as “The Ultimate Bruin”. Schmidt died of a stroke in 2017 at the age of 98. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. The Kraut Line is arguably the greatest line in the history of hockey. But they’re more than just a catchy name. These were men of honor. They had a sense of pride and a sense of duty. And they were better at hockey than everyone else.

Bruins Coach Milt Schmidt
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

New goaltender coming to Boston?

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Don Sweeney Announced that the Boston Bruins will be diving into the goalie free agent market come Monday. What does this mean for Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak?

Changing of the guard?

NHL free agency opens on Monday. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has already confirmed that the Bruins will be active come Monday. One surprising note that Sweeney mentioned was that the Bruins will be active in the goalie market. Some fans immediately jumped to conclusions that Tuukka Rask and or Jaroslav Halak might be on the move. Rest assured, that isn’t the case.

If its not broken, don’t fix it.

Last year the Bruins goaltending tandem was one of if not the best in the NHL. While there is the never ending debate surrounding Tuukka Rask, this move will hardly effect him. After one of the better years of his career and a stellar postseason performance, Rask is still the guy for the Bruins. That turns the attention to Jaroslav Halak. While some might think that Halak is just a backup goalie, he’s much more than that. Now Halak might be the backup for Tuukka Rask, but that doesn’t mean Halak isn’t good enough to start elsewhere.

Amongst the best

Last season was one of the better seasons throughout the career of Jaroslav Halak. Despite being the Boston Bruins backup goaltender, Halak made his mark. Halak had one more shutout than Tuukka Rask despite playing in six less games, but still played in enough games to qualify for rankings in the league leaders. Again, playing in six less games than Tuukka Rask, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Halak ranked seventh in goals against average (GAA), and ninth in save percentage (Sv%). Both ranked higher than Tuukka Rask. Halak has one more year on his contract and has definitely earned the right to play out his deal in Boston. The only way this isn’t the case is of the Bruins decide to trade him at the trade deadline because they don’t think they’ll make the playoffs. I highly doubt that’ll be case.

What’s the big idea?

When the Bruins address the goalie situation in free agency, its likely gonna be the Providence Bruins that it effects the most. A starting goaltender for Providence is most likely what Don Sweeney will be looking for come Monday. Zane McIntyre is currently the Providence Bruins starting goalie. Despite a pretty good year last year, McIntyre looks like he’s the odd man out in the Bruins goalie race. McIntyre’s contract expired this season, making him a free agent. A free agent that likely doesn’t come back to the Bruins organization next season.

Inside options? Not quite yet.

Dan Vladar is a 22 year old goalie who sat below McIntyre on the Providence depth chart last year. Vladar managed a .500 record and only allowed 2.73 goals per game. He will likely share time with whoever the Bruins sign next season in Providence. Kyle Keyser is another very intruiging goalie prospect that the Bruins have. Keyser is 20 and he played most of last season with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. Keyser played in 47 games with Oshawa, only allowing 2.75 goals per game and held down a solid .915 save percentage. The general consensus is that Keyser isn’t quite ready for a full time role in Providence yet. Injuries could play a big role in Keyser moving up however.

As we’ve now looked at all of the options within the Bruins organization we know that one will likely be out. My thinking is that Don Sweeney is going to be looking to bring in a veteran who can help the young Vladar and Keyser and set them on the right track to the NHL.

Boston Bruins History: The Kraut Line Part 1

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From 1937 to 1947 one of the most dominant lines in hockey belonged to the Boston Bruins. Left Winger Woody Dumart, Center Milt Schmidt (who’s well known as The Ultimate Bruin), and Right Winger Bobby Bauer made up what was originally named the “Sauerkraut Line” for their German heritage. The nickname was quickly shortened to “The Kraut Line”. The three grew up playing hockey together in Kitchener, Ontario and made their way through the ranks together. By the time they got to the NHL their skills were well known. So was their nickname.

Dominating the NHL

The trio led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories in 1939 and 1941 and went 1, 2, and 3 in NHL scoring during the 1939-40 season. In that 39-40 season Milt Schmidt finished first in the NHL with 52 points. Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer finished second and third in the NHL with 43 points each. That year Bauer won the Lady Byng Trophy for the NHL’s “Most Gentlemanly Player”, while Schmidt was elected to the First All-Star Team and Bauer and Dumart were elected to the Second All-Star Team.

Milt Schmidt later recollected, “There are several reasons why we had success that year. The three of us roomed together in Brookline, Massachusetts. We had one big room so that we were always together. After practices we discussed things we should work on. After a game we’d say, ‘Well we did this wrong or did that wrong.’ There was no nightlife or anything like that. We really worked at it and I think that had more to do with the success of our line than anything else. To finish one-two-three… I don’t know of any other line that did that before us and we were quite proud of the fact. Hard work. That was it.”

Rivalries Put on Hold

When World War II started, Schmidt, Dumart, and Bauer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. They continued playing for the Bruins until it was time for deployment overseas in 1942. On February 10, 1942, the Boston Bruins played against the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden. It’s no secret that the Bruins/Canadiens rivalry is the oldest and bitterest in hockey. That night the Bruins put a beating on Montreal, winning 8-1. But this was no ordinary game. This was the last game The Kraut Line would play before going overseas to fight for the Allies. Accordingly, for the first and only time, the rivalry was put aside. After losing in Boston, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins together hoisted all three members of The Kraut Line onto their shoulders and skated them around the ice.

Milt Schmidt talked about that night to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont in 2010. “It shows you that out on the ice you’re enemies, but as soon as you’re off the ice, you can be good friends. To be treated like that, Bob, Woody, and I, before going into the service, it’s such a credit to the Canadiens, as players and people.” And with that, The Kraut Line was off to war. Hockey would have to wait.

Bruins First Round draft pick John Beecher: What You Need To Know

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On Friday night the Boston Bruins selected 18 year old Center John Beecher of the US NTDP. Beecher is committed to play for the University of Michigan come fall.

I mentioned Beecher as a potential prospect for the Bruins to select in the second part of my Bruins offseason outlook.

The Rundown

The numbers for John Beecher throughout his US NDTP career don’t exactly jump out at you in the stat book. But don’t be alarmed, he was on the team for a reason. Beecher has good skating and scoring abilities, but not quite as good as the other centers on the team. Never getting to play the role of more than a third line center, Bleecher still had a stellar career. Bleecher was stuck in the shadows of other elite center prospects Trevor Zegras, Alex Turcotte, and the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft Jack Hughes. Hughes, Zegras, and Turcotte all tend to be more along the lines of the scoring and playmaking type. Beecher can do a little bit of everything, but he also brings something to the table that most players at his age and position cant: Size.

Tale of the tape

Beecher weighs in at an impressive 200 pounds while standing 6’3. At the young age of 18, he’s already got a leg up on the competition. Size isn’t something you can teach, but skating, shooting, and defending all are things you can. Beecher’s size has already become something that he uses to his advantage. The ability to shake off defenders, stride passed defenders, and bully defenders in front of the net have all become a part of Beecher’s offensive game. Beecher’s size helps on both ends of the ice however. Paired with his good skating skills, his size also tends to be a nightmare for opposing teams while he’s on the forecheck. A large body that isn’t afraid to bang on the boards, Beecher could someday become a key part in the Bruins forecheck game. Beecher is also known for his willingness to block shots.

Offense

One thing that comes as a surprise to many when looking at the size of John Beecher is his playmaking ability. His height, wingspan, as well as his skating abilities make it easier for him to make a play. The ability to shake off defenders makes it easier for Beecher to cycle the puck. Beecher’s ability to cycle the puck could eventually find him on the power play at the NHL level. The speed and footwork for Beecher are very good for his size. He can keep up with most guys at the NHL level when fully developed. While being able to out skate some players, he can also out battle players as well. Beecher has a good sense of control with the puck around the goalie. His puck control, combined with size, and good hands could someday be a nightmare for opposing teams.

In Conclusion

PATIENCE. We already know that John Beecher’s size is NHL ready. But given his young age of 18, his skills might not quite be there yet. Skating D-1 college hockey, and eventually skating with Providence in the AHL will provide excellent learning opportunities for Beecher. Going back to the point that Beecher was in the shadow of other centers, it will help if he can center a top or second line. Seeing him with top line talent could show off his playmaking abilities, as well as his scoring ability. All in all I think the Boston Bruins made a very solid pick tonight. Being able to land a talent like Beecher should have the Bruins very happy with their 30th overall selection.

The second through seventh rounds of the 2019 NHL draft will take place on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins will pick four times on Saturday as of Friday night.

Don Sweeney Wins GM of the Year

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Don Sweeney has come full circle with the Boston Bruins organization. He started as a player, moved to the front office, later became the General Manager, and has now won GM of the year. He beat out fellow nominees Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues and Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes. General Manager of the Year is voted on by all of the General Managers in the league, so this is not only an honor but it shows how well a GM is regarded by their peers.

Before the NHL Awards, speaking on his nomination, Don Sweeney told reporters, “It’s obviously a privilege to being acknowledged by your peer group. A lot of work goes in. Obviously, it shares a reflection of the organization overall; the support you get throughout. It’s a little bit hard for us as the Boston Bruins to be fully on board and celebrating and such. But like I said, it’s a testament to the organization overall to be here.”

Where It Started

Sweeney was a defenceman drafted by the Bruins in 1984. He made his NHL debut in the 1988-89 season, and played with the Bruins until the 2002-03 season. He played for one more year with the Dallas Stars before retiring. During his 15 year tenure wearing #32 for the Bruins, he played in over 1,000 games. Wearing the Spoked B, he recorded 52 goals and 210 assists, equaling 262 points.

Becoming GM

On May 20^th 2015, Sweeney officially signed on as the Bruins General Manager, taking over from Peter Chiarelli. The biggest immediate obstacle he faced was the salary cap. Chiarelli had a tendency to sign players to large and extended contracts that left little room against the cap. Sweeney had to make some bold moves, such as trading longtime fan-favorites Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton. He’s had no hesitation trading fan-favorites to do what he believes is best for the team. Most recently he traded defenseman Adam McQuaid to the New York Rangers prior to this season. McQuaid was arguably the last of the old guard of hockey; the enforcer who would drop the gloves in a split-second to change the game’s momentum (or just because he wanted to). It was a gamble that paid off.

The final splash Sweeney made this season was trading for Charlie Coyle from the Minnesota Wild for Ryan Donato and a 2019 conditional fifth-round pick at the trade deadline. In 21 regular season games Coyle notched two goals and four assists, but it was in the post season where he excelled. He earned a plus-nine rating with nine goals and seven assists.

Looking Ahead

The Bruins fell just short this season, losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the St. Louis Blues. The window could be closing on the Bruins core group of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand. Sweeney is fully aware and rumors are swirling that he intends to make a big splash to get the boys in black and gold back to the Finals. Bold moves will likely be necessary, and the GM of the Year has shown time and again that he’s up to the task.

Boston Bruins 2019 Offseason outlook Part one; Current Roster

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The 2018-2019 Boston Bruins season has come and gone. The season might not have ended in the exact way that the team and fans may have hoped, but it was still undoubtedly a success. Next year’s success starts in the offseason.

Buyout for Backes?

First big date in the NHL offseason is June 15th. This marks the beginning of the buyout period for NHL teams. The big name that comes up for Bruins fans when they hear buyout is David Backes. Backes’s play didn’t sit well with fans this season, especially because Backes is due $6 million next season. Given the buyout rules, if the Bruins choose to buyout David Backes, the team will only save $333,333. For what Backes brings to the table still, I think its highly unlikely that the Bruins buy him out. Look for Boston to package a pick or prospect with Backes in a trade if they do look to unload his contract.

Boston Bruins 2019-2020 Schedule

Line em up

The Bruins have 14 pending free agents, and roughly $14 million to spend. Some restricted and some unrestricted. Given that young potential core, players like Brandon Carolo and Charlie McAvoy are both due big extensions, the Bruins will likely spend every bit of the initial $14 million before the offseason ends. In addition to Carlo and McAvoy, that leaves little money to spend for other key roster member on the list of free agents like Danton Heinen, Marcus Johannsson, and Noel Acciari. Given the current cap situation for the Bruins I think the fate of David Backes will be very telling for the Boston roster. If the Bruins want to bring back Marcus Johansson to help fix their right wing depth issue, something has to give. After Johansson’s play this season he will get money if he wants it. Money that the Bruins don’t exactly have as the offseason starts.

The time is now

This is quite possibly one of the best rosters that the Bruins have had in a while. A lot of talent in a lot of different places. But do they have talent in the right places? The Bruins have had an issue with depth on the wings for a couple seasons now. They have a lot of upcoming talent in the minor leagues, but it’s talent that isn’t quite NHL ready. With the depth that the Bruins have, they could go out and trade for players to fit their needs. A guy like David Krejci could be the cost if the Bruins want to create cap room for free agency. Krejci has been a consistent locker room presence for the Bruins. With the acquisition of Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, though, the Bruins could afford to move a center.

Moves for the future

Torey Krug has been a very popular name in Boston as of late. Not only for his stellar play in the postseason, but also because he’s coming up on the final year of his contract. Krug is currently taking up nearly $5.5 million on the Bruins payroll. Again, the Bruins have some depth at the NHL level and could trade a defenseman if they choose to do so. A lot of the Bruins talent in the minors is talent that plays the blue line. So a veteran on a one year deal could give the Bruins prospects some time to progress into the 20-21 season.

In conclusion, the Bruins have a lot of options and a lot of crucial decisions to make. Some could come quick as the NHL draft is not far away. Some could come later in the offseason if the Bruins are not confident in their roster.