Whether the Bruins will be better than last season remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: They'll certainly look different.
The Bruins signed five new players on Wednesday: Goalie Linus Ullmark, defenseman Derek Forbort, and forwards Nick Foligno, Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek.
They allowed forwards Nick Ritchie and Sean Kuraly and goalie Jaroslav Halak to walk. They previously said goodbye to defensemen Jeremy Lauzon (lost to Seattle via expansion draft) and Kevan Miller (retired).
Longtime core pieces David Krejci and Tuukka Rask remain unsigned, their futures in question. They can wait on Rask, who recently underwent hip surgery.
General manager Don Sweeney says the door is still open for Krejci, but with the Bruins now right up against the cap, they would need to shed some salary to fit him in.
So, what do the Bruins actually look like on paper right now? Here's how they could line up if they don't make any other moves:
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall - Charlie Coyle - Craig Smith
Jake DeBrusk - Erik Haula - Nick Foligno
Tomas Nosek - Trent Frederic - Curtis Lazar
Chris Wagner
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly - Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort - Connor Clifton
Jakub Zboril, John Moore*
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
A couple notes...
- Moore ended last season on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. It's unclear if he's healthy now or is expected to be to start the season.
- Speaking of Moore, his $2.75 million cap hit (for two more years) would, in a perfect world, be the Bruins' first choice to move out in order to free up some money. But that won't be easy -- no one's going to take on his contract without the Bruins giving up an asset along with it.
DeBrusk ($3.675 million for one year) remains the most likely to be moved to free up the money to sign Krejci or potentially even acquire another second-line center. Wagner ($1.35 million for two more years) could also be an option.
- If none of that happens, then obviously that second-line center spot will be the biggest question mark on the roster. Coyle will be healthier after an offseason knee procedure, but becoming a No. 2 center would require not just a return to health, but a significant step forward in his game.
Jack Studnicka could get a look for either that role or third-line center as well, but after something of a lost season, he may need a little more development time in Providence. Foligno could even be a No. 2 center option, but is much better suited for a third-line role at this point in his career.
- The Bruins have a lot of left shots up front and don't seem to have a natural fit at third-line right wing. Foligno can play all three forward spots. Coyle could bump over to wing, especially if Krejci ultimately returns and Coyle isn't needed on the second line. Lazar, Wagner and Karson Kuhlman are all better suited for fourth line/depth spots. Studnicka is a better fit at center than wing, and DeBrusk never looked comfortable on his off wing last season.
The fourth line could also be pretty fluid, with Nosek, Frederic and Lazar all capable of playing center or wing.
- Speaking of Kuhlman and Studnicka, they're among the young forwards who will get a chance to compete for a roster spot, along with the likes of Anton Blidh, Cameron Hughes, Zach Senyshyn, Oskar Steen and Jakub Lauko.
On defense, Urho Vaakanainen and Jack Ahcan would seem to be next in line. With the Bruins often keeping eight defensemen on the active roster, one of them could stick around if Moore is moved or put on IR.
- The left side of the defense is certainly flexible and could be shifted around depending on matchups. None of Grzelcyk, Reilly or Forbort are the true all-around top-pairing D the Bruins would prefer to have, but they're all capable of playing 20-plus minutes on any given night.