Going into this season, the Bruins' questions on defense weren't just about replacing Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug on the ice. They were also about replacing them as leaders.
Chara was obviously the Bruins' captain for the entirety of his 14 years in Boston, but Krug had also grown into an important team leader, especially as a link between the veterans and the younger players.
Someone had to step into that void and help this younger defense find its way. While there have certainly been multiple players who have stepped up in that respect, one who got a little bit of individual recognition on Sunday was Brandon Carlo.
The 24-year-old defenseman, now in his fifth season with the Bruins, got to wear an alternate captain's "A" for Boston's showcase outdoor game in Lake Tahoe against the Flyers with usual alternate captain David Krejci out of the lineup due to injury.
It was the first time Carlo has worn a captain's letter in an NHL game, and the honor clearly meant a lot to him.
"That was amazing," he said Tuesday. "That was probably the biggest honor of my life, to walk in the locker room that day and see the 'A' on my sweater. It means so much to me that this group and the management and everybody can kind of trust me to take on that responsibility.
"It definitely warmed my heart and gave me an extra boost of confidence knowing that I'm contributing to this team in a leadership aspect. I want to continue to grow in that regard. We've had great mentors along the way. You obviously had Zee, but now Bergy has been fantastic this year with leading us along that path. So I'm a sponge. I just want to soak in all that stuff and do my best to be a voice in the room and keep that respect."
Coach Bruce Cassidy said there were a few different guys the team could've chosen for the vacant 'A,' but that Carlo had certainly earned it. He suggested there could be some sort of rotation if Krejci (who did not practice Tuesday) or another captain were to miss more time.
"I think there's a group of them that you could put in that basket," Cassidy said. "I think Brandon's in there. I think David Pastrnak's in there. I think Charlie Coyle's in there. [Charlie] McAvoy's getting there, Grizz [Matt Grzelcyk]. Typically in the past Kevan Miller's gotten an 'A', and Marchy were those middle guys, and Torey Krug. That's what you want. You want guys to grow from within and develop those leadership skills. Some of them have it naturally. Others need to be around other people and see how it's done. That's fine, whatever works.
"But we feel Brandon's one of those guys, and he's earned it. He's young, but he's been in the league and conducts himself as a true pro very well. I think the guys all look up to him. So I thought it was a good choice, but like I said, there is a handful of guys in that mix we could've chose from that I think are growing in and evolving into that type of player with the leadership attributes."
