Hockey season is officially here. The Boston Bruins and the NHL’s other 31 teams open training camp on Wednesday with players reporting and undergoing physicals, testing, etc.
General manager Don Sweeney and head coach Jim Montgomery are both scheduled to meet with the media Wednesday, and then the Bruins will hold their first official practice of the 2024-25 season on Thursday.
Here is the Bruins’ training camp roster, which does not yet include a certain goalie (more on that in a minute):
FORWARDS (27): Joey Abate, John Beecher, Justin Brazeau, Patrick Brown, Charlie Coyle, Riley Duran, John Farinacci, Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie, Brett Harrison, Tyler Johnson, Max Jones, Mark Kastelic, Cole Koepke, Trevor Kuntar, Vinni Lettieri, Elias Lindholm, Fabian Lysell, Brad Marchand, Marc McLaughlin, Georgii Merkulov, Jaxon Nelson, David Pastrnak, Matt Poitras, Riley Tufte, Jeffrey Viel, Pavel Zacha
DEFENSE (18): Drew Bavaro, Frederic Brunet, Michael Callahan, Brandon Carlo, Jackson Edward, Loke Johansson, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Ryan Mast, Charlie McAvoy, Mason Millman, Ian Mitchell, Jordan Oesterle, Andrew Peeke, Alec Regula, Billy Sweezey, Parker Wotherspoon, Nikita Zadorov
GOALIES (5): Ryan Bischel, Brandon Bussi, Michael DiPietro, Joonas Korpisalo, Nolan Maier
As everything gets underway, here are the five biggest storylines we’ll be following. You can probably guess the first…
1. Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation
UPDATE: The Greg Hill Show's Courtney Cox reported Wednesday morning that a deal between Swayman and the Bruins is done, and that it could be announced as early as Wednesday.
That was followed a short time later by Rich Keefe on Jones & Keefe contrasting that report, saying that his sources have indicated that a deal is not done and that Swayman is not expected to be on the ice for the start of camp.
When general manager Don Sweeney met with reporters at noon Wednesday, he made it clear that a deal is not done, and that Swayman will not be on the ice until one is.
This section as originally written, before the great WEEI scoop-off, appears below:
When is Swayman going to sign? And what is the contract going to look like? Those have been the biggest questions facing the Bruins all summer, and they will remain so until a deal gets done. If that doesn't happen on Wednesday, the Bruins will hit the ice Thursday morning for their first official practice of the 2024-25 season without their No. 1 goalie.
Obviously, that is not ideal. It’s also not unprecedented for an unresolved contract situation to linger into camp. Every year there are restricted free agents who don’t begin training camp on time, as not reporting is one of the last leverage plays that they have. Here in Boston, Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo both missed the start of camp as RFAs in 2019. McAvoy signed three days in, Carlo six. David Pastrnak signed on the first day of camp back in 2017.
With that in mind, Swayman missing a few days, or even a week, wouldn’t be the end of the world. Coach Jim Montgomery already downplayed the fallout if things play out that way, saying last week that the end of training camp and the last few preseason games are more important for veterans anyways.
“No, I don't think it does [change anything],” Montgomery said. “Because we lean towards, the way we play out in camp, our veterans tend to play most of the last three games.”
Of course, the unspoken follow-up there is that it would change things if the impasse between Swayman and the Bruins lingers into early October. At some point around then, the Bruins would have to prepare for the possibility of starting the regular season without Swayman. But they're not there yet, and the guess here is that this gets done well before they have to cross that bridge.
Updates earlier this week came from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Darren Dreger. Friedman wrote on Monday that it had been a “quiet” weekend, but that “the best news for the Bruins is their number-one goalie still wants to sign long-term.” Dreger said on Tuesday that there are “positive vibes coming out of Boston” and that both sides are “looking at a long-term commitment,” but that “there is still a gap.”
So, who’s in net until Swayman gets into camp? The top two options would be veteran Joonas Korpisalo, who was acquired from Ottawa in the Linus Ullmark trade and is coming off a rough season, and rookie Brandon Bussi, who has yet to play an NHL game. Michael DiPietro, who was the 1B to Bussi in Providence last season and actually posted slightly better numbers, could also get a shot.
Those three will be worth watching, regardless, because they’ll still be competing to back up Swayman once he arrives. But obviously the ask for any or all of them would go up significantly if Swayman misses more time than anticipated.
2. The battle for second-line right wing
Back when we all naively thought Swayman’s contract would get done long before the start of camp, this was shaping up to be the No. 1 story. It’s still an important one.
The Bruins prioritized center (Elias Lindholm) and defense (Nikita Zadorov) in free agency, and the trade-off was that they let Jake DeBrusk walk and didn’t replace him on the wing. It was absolutely a justifiable plan, but it nonetheless left the roster short a second-line wing.
That means there will be a good ol’ fashioned training camp battle to see who gets to play right wing on the second line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. The most exciting candidate for fans is 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell, who had 50 points in 56 games in Providence last season, but has yet to play an NHL game.
Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie may not generate as much buzz, but they might have more of an inside track than Lysell. They had 40 and 39 points, respectively, last season (right in line with DeBrusk), and both moved up to the top six at times. Montgomery and his staff also already have built-in trust in them when it comes to defense and “building a team game,” one of Montgomery’s favorite phrases.
Then there’s Tyler Johnson. The Bruins brought the two-time Stanley Cup winner in on a professional tryout. The 34-year-old, who can play center or wing, hasn’t had more than 31 points in five years, but perhaps a move back to a contender will be rejuvenating after three seasons with the rebuilding Blackhawks. Danton Heinen made the Bruins after going through camp on a PTO last season.
Lysell will have to earn the Bruins’ trust when it comes to playing responsibly, especially going up against so many veterans, and Montgomery also said he wants to see the 21-year-old winger win one-on-one battles.
“I think I just want to see him immerse himself in one-on-one battles, coming up with loose pucks,” Montgomery said of Lysell last week. “He is a gifted offensive player, and for gifted offensive players to have success, they need the puck on their stick. And that's why I say he needs to win more one-on-one battles – not more, but that's got to be a focus, is being really intent on getting the puck on your stick so you can do the things that you do well.”
Matt Poitras and Georgii Merkulov are two other youngsters who could potentially get a look for this spot, but both may be better suited to their natural position of center.
3. How the new guys look, and where they line up
In case you missed it, the Bruins were major players in free agency on July 1, highlighted by the signings of center Elias Lindholm (7 years, $7.75 million AAV) and defenseman Nikita Zadorov (6 years, $5 million AAV).
We in the media got a glimpse of Lindholm and Zadorov with their new teammates at a couple captains practices, but now they’ll be making their Bruins debuts for real, and that should be pretty exciting.
Both should have major roles to play on this team. Lindholm is penciled in as the No. 1 center on a line with David Pastrnak. How their chemistry develops will be crucial. He will be used in all situations, including power play and penalty kill as well as key faceoffs at both ends of the ice.
Zadorov will be counted on to bring an element of physicality and intimidation that the Bruins felt their defense needed more of. He is expected to be paired with Charlie McAvoy early on, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get looks next to Brandon Carlo and Andrew Peeke as well. The Bruins have a lot of flexibility on the blue line, with left shots Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei all capable of playing on any pairing.
Beyond Lindholm and Zadorov, the Bruins’ new depth additions will also be worth watching, especially up front. Max Jones (signed as a free agent) and Mark Kastelic (acquired in the Ullmark trade) should really help redefine Boston’s bottom six, as both bring the size, speed and physicality to create the “anxiety on the forecheck” that Don Sweeney and Cam Neely have been chasing for years. Kastelic is also good on faceoffs, and Jones could have the offensive upside to challenge for a third-line role.
Free-agent signing Riley Tufte may have more of an uphill battle to make the team, but he could also bring those traits if he forces his way onto the roster.
4. Matt Poitras
Poitras became THE story of training camp last year as he unexpectedly forced his way onto the opening night roster as a 19-year-old. After a promising rookie seasons that was unfortunately cut short by injury, Poitras now enters camp with the expectation that he makes the team again, but no guarantee.
Unlike last year, Poitras is eligible to be sent to AHL Providence this time around, so that could be an option if the Bruins decide he still needs some seasoning.
Obviously, the Bruins would prefer that Poitras take that option off the table for them by putting together the same kind of camp he did last year. He won’t simply be handed a roster spot, but he will absolutely get every opportunity to win one again.
The most natural place to pencil Poitras in would be third-line center. Just like last year, that would seem to check a lot of boxes when it comes to Poitras’s usage: It keeps him at his natural position and spares him from having to handle tougher top-six assignments, but also gets him into some offensive situations with proven middle-six players like Trent Frederic and/or Morgan Geekie.
But if Poitras doesn’t re-win that job, the Bruins would have other options. Frederic and Geekie can both play center. Kastelic or Johnny Beecher could make a push to move up from fourth-line duties. And Georgii Merkulov is looking to prove that he’s ready for the NHL after leading Providence in scoring each of the past two seasons.
For Poitras, this is the classic test that pretty much every young player faces: You did it once; now show us you can do it again.
5. Will there be any surprises?
No one had Poitras on the opening night roster when camp began last year. Danton Heinen making the team from a PTO wasn’t as surprising, but also wasn’t widely expected.
Two years ago, Jakub Lauko came out of nowhere after a disappointing AHL season to make the team. A.J. Greer was a mild surprise that year as well.
Will there be any such surprises this year? Obviously, there could be. The Bruins have shown that they’re willing to make room if someone forces their hand, whether they were penciled into their initial roster projections or not.
With so much in flux up front, forward would seem to be the most likely position for an off-the-board pick to break through. With that in mind, we took a look at five under-the-radar players who could make a roster push last week. You can read more on those five here, but it’s a list that includes John Farinacci, Trevor Kuntar, Marc McLaughlin, Riley Tufte and Jeffrey Viel.
We would add Brett Harrison after he led the Bruins with three goals in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo over the weekend. Riley Duran isn’t as under-the-radar since Don Sweeney already named him as a young player who could push, but he is definitely worth mentioning here because it would still be a surprise if he actually makes the team out of camp.
Would Georgii Merkulov qualify as a surprise? He would probably at least be a mild one given that no one is really going to have him on their opening night roster projections to start camp, at least.