Longtime captain Zdeno Chara left the Bruins last year. Longtime alternate captain David Krejci left this summer. Longtime starting goalie and fellow team leader Tuukka Rask may return at some point later this season, but he’s not with the team now.
Patrice Bergeron is obviously still there, now in his second season as captain after 14 years as an alternate. Brad Marchand, in his second year as a full-time alternate captain, is clearly embracing a bigger leadership role, as evidenced by his work with many of the Bruins’ prospects this summer.
The Bruins haven’t yet announced who will wear the ‘A’ vacated by Krejci. Regardless of who’s wearing a letter and who’s not, the team knows it’s going to take a committee to help replace what’s been lost and help a roster with a lot of new faces find its way early on.
On Wednesday, coach Bruce Cassidy highlighted some of the players he thinks could be ready to step up and take on a bigger leadership role.
“It’s up to those guys to look around the room and say, ‘Hey, you know what, I learned the Bruins way and culture from those guys and it’s my turn to pay it forward,’” Cassidy said. “Those guys would be Brandon Carlo, who just signed a nice new ticket -- well earned, well deserved, good for both sides. There’s some security there, and hopefully that translates to a more comfortable person in the room. Charlie McAvoy is right there now. Matt Grzelcyk. You look at those three defensemen who kind of came up together … now it’s their turn.
“And up front with Krech leaving, hopefully [Charlie] Coyle becomes a more assertive personality. We’ll see with the newer players. I think it’s in [Nick] Foligno. He’s been a captain, so it won’t need much coaxing out of him. We’ll see how the other guys are vocally.
“Then even a guy like Pasta [David Pastrnak] -- he’s been around for a while. He’s becoming a more sort of seasoned guy in our locker room in terms of years served here, so hopefully he becomes more of that as well. David’s always got plenty of personality, I’m not worried about that. But in terms of the leadership side, maybe he’ll take a couple younger guys under his wing, so to speak.”
According to Cassidy, that’s the kind of passing-on process that needs to happen for a team to remain successful after veterans move on.
“Those are all the things you hope for that the previous group did so well, that our current group has done so well, and that the next will take the reins to a certain extent and continue the cycle,” Cassidy said. “That’s what makes teams consistently good.”
As Cassidy mentioned, the one newcomer who definitely brings some leadership experience is Nick Foligno, who was captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets for nearly six years before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at last year’s trade deadline.
Bergeron, who helped recruit Foligno to the Bruins, said there’s always room to learn from players who have been leaders elsewhere, as the team has done in the past when someone like Jarome Iginla or David Backes arrived in Boston.
“I want to make sure that he’s able to tell us what he thinks,” Bergeron said. “If there’s things he thinks could be better or new ideas that could be helpful, I want to hear about that. We want to hear about that as a leadership group. That’s how you get better. Make them feel comfortable, make a guy like Nick feel comfortable that he can come in and be himself and bring his leadership and that there’s room for it.”
As the Bruins open training camp with their first practice Thursday, their leadership group will be key as the team bonding process really begins. Fortunately, that process will be a little easier this year than last, as players can now get together away from the rink more as long as they’re fully vaccinated, which every Bruins player and staff member is.
That will include a team barbecue and a team retreat scheduled for some point during the 10 days between their final preseason game on Oct. 6 and their first regular-season game on Oct. 16 -- COVID-permitting, of course. The Bruins have done team getaways like that in the past, and Bergeron sees value in them.
“It’s creating connections. I think that’s how you can be successful as a team, is by creating those bonds,” Bergeron said. “It definitely starts with getting to know the guys on a more personal level. When you’re able to get away for a day or two or whatever that is and start doing team-building activities, it kind of gives you a better understanding of who that person is. You get to have those talks and just create something.
“You have an opportunity to create something as a team and work towards that. I think that’s where we are. There’s some new faces, new players. The pandemic is somewhat behind us, or a little more in the rearview mirror. We still have to be careful, but at least we can start doing some of those activities. We’re looking forward to it.”
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