The Bruins wrapped up their preseason with a 2-0 loss to the Capitals Saturday night in Washington. Any thoughts about that were washed away Sunday morning when the team announced an eight-year extension with goalie Jeremy Swayman worth $8.25 million per year.
Next stop: Florida. Boston will fly down to Sunrise on Sunday and practice there Monday before opening the regular season Tuesday night against the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. The Bruins and the rest of the NHL will have to get down to a cap-compliant 23-man roster by 5 p.m. Monday.
We originally posted this projection prior to the Swayman news, but it has now been updated to include Swayman.
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FORWARDS (13)
Pavel Zacha – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Morgan Geekie
Trent Frederic – Tyler Johnson – Justin Brazeau
Johnny Beecher – Mark Kastelic – Max Jones
Matt Poitras
This group doesn’t really feel settled for a few reasons. One, general manager Don Sweeney needs to decide if he is going to sign Tyler Johnson to a contract after the veteran went through camp on a PTO (professional tryout). It certainly feels like Johnson did enough to stick around. He got better as camp went on. He centered that third line with Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau on Tuesday in a full-lineup dress rehearsal for the regular season, and it was the Bruins’ best line that night. And even if that third-line center job eventually goes to Matt Poitras, Johnson can slide into a Swiss Army knife role as someone who can play all three forward positions and move up and down the lineup.
Speaking of Poitras, the 20-year-old’s health is another lingering question ahead of opening night. He missed most of this past week with an undisclosed injury, one that coach Jim Montgomery has described as “day-to-day” rather than anything serious. Still, Montgomery also acknowledged on Friday that it was unclear if Poitras would be ready for Tuesday. Poitras was having a great camp before the injury, so the timing is definitely unfortunate. You wonder if the Bruins would consider sending him to Providence for a mini-rehab stint, but Montgomery said the injury wouldn’t impact whether or not Poitras makes the team. We will put him on the team, where he was showing he belongs, but will guess that he’s not quite ready to play Tuesday.
Second-line right wing was the biggest non-Swayman question entering camp, and all indications are that Morgan Geekie has won that job out of the gate. Geekie said he targeted this job entering camp and believes he still has a higher offensive ceiling than his career-high 17 goals and 39 points last year. The Bruins seem to believe that as well, as does probable new linemate Brad Marchand.
“I love playing with Geeks,” Marchand said earlier in camp. “He’s so great in some of the different areas, the way he can hold onto pucks and makes plays. Shoots it. Great in the corners. I think he really complements our line as well. We haven’t had a ton of reps together, so we’ll continue to work on it. But I’ve always really liked his game.”
After getting sent down to Providence a week ago, 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell did get called back up to play in two more preseason games on Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately, he didn’t really take advantage of the opportunity, turning in two quiet performances at a time when he really needed to wow Boston brass if he was going to win an NHL job.
The final question up front is on the fourth line. Max Jones missed most of training camp with a groin injury before finally getting in for the last two preseason games. He looked like a player who was still getting up to speed, but the Bruins envision him as an everyday player once he is thanks to his combination of size, speed and physicality.
Prior to Swayman signing, I had Cole Koepke making the team as a 14th forward. But with Swayman's $8.25 million cap hit now on the books, the Bruins probably will probably only be able to keep 22 players rather than the maximum 23. Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke was Boston’s most-used fourth line this preseason, and the trio consistently looked good together. Koepke, who was probably off most people’s radars entering camp, really made a strong case for himself by playing a strong 200-foot game with pace, physicality and a knack for getting to inside ice in the offensive zone. If the Bruins do have to waive him, they will hope he clears so they can send him to Providence and keep him at the front of the call-up line.
DEFENSE (7)
Hampus Lindholm – Charlie McAvoy
Mason Lohrei – Brandon Carlo
Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Parker Wotherspoon
This group has felt pretty settled all preseason, and nothing has really happened to change that. The only question is who plays with whom. The reality is that the left side is probably going to move around quite a bit, as the Bruins have a lot of flexibility to mix and match based on matchups or game situations. But these are the pairings they ended the preseason with, so we’ll guess this is how they line up to start on opening night.
If the Bruins decide to keep an eighth defenseman instead of a 14th forward or third goalie, keep an eye on Billy Sweezey. The Hanson native had a strong camp and brings some physicality and nastiness that fits right in with what the Bruins are trying to do.
GOALIES (2)
Joonas Korpisalo
Jeremy Swayman
We're listing Jeremy Swayman second here only on the technicality that he probably won't be ready to start opening night after missing all of training camp and preseason. But make no mistake: Swayman is locked in as Boston's No. 1 now and for years to come and will start the majority of games once he's up to speed.
Joonas Korpisalo was very good for the majority of the preseason, but finished with a bit of a dud Thursday in Quebec City (four goals on 26 shots). Nonetheless, Montgomery already named him the opening night starter. The Bruins will be hoping Korpisalo plays like he did most of this preseason and not like he did for the Ottawa Senators last season, when he had an abysmal .890 save percentage.
In a reverse of Korpisalo’s camp, Brandon Bussi started slow but finished strong. After allowing six goals on 44 shots (.864 save percentage) in his first two preseason outings, Bussi turned aside 43 of 46 shots (.935) in his last two, including 30 of 32 on Saturday.
“I thought Brandon Bussi was the only reason it was a close game,” Montgomery said after Saturday’s loss. “He gave us an opportunity going into the third only down one. He gave us an opportunity all the way up until that second goal went in.”
Bussi had probably secured the backup job behind Korpisalo and ahead of waiver claim Jiri Patera... until Swayman signed. Now, Bussi will likely be waived and sent to Providence if no other team claims him.