What Brad Marchand expects to see from his next right wing
We don't know exactly what the Bruins' lines are going to look like to start this season, but we can pretty safely pencil in five pieces of the top six.
Boston signed center Elias Lindholm in free agency with the intention of playing him with David Pastrnak, so there's two-thirds of the first line. In theory, coach Jim Montgomery could give Brad Marchand a look on their left, but he's expected to start with Pavel Zacha there given the chemistry between Zacha and Pastrnak that's been built over the last two years.
Marchand is instead expected to remain with Charlie Coyle on the second line, where he spent the majority of last season. The captain acknowledged as much Tuesday after the Bruins' first captains practice of the season.
"Yeah, I do expect to play with [Coyle]," Marchand said. "I thought we came a long way last year and built some good chemistry, and it's something that we can continue to work on. The longer you get to play with someone, obviously the more success you're gonna have and more familiar you're gonna get with one another. But yeah, really looking forward to continuing that and continuing to grow together and build something special."
Who plays right wing with Marchand and Coyle is the one big question in the top six. Last year, it was Jake DeBrusk. Marchand, Coyle and DeBrusk played 347 minutes together at 5-on-5 last season, by far the most of any Bruins line combination. DeBrusk is gone, though, departing for the Vancouver Canucks in free agency and leaving behind a bigger hole than his critics would like to admit.
So, who's going to fill that vacancy? Among returning players, Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie would be the most logical choices. Both saw at least a little bit of time with Marchand and Coyle last season – 51 minutes for Frederic, 28 for Geekie. The Bruins outscored opponents 3-0 when Frederic was on that line and broke even at 1-1 with Geekie there.
The most exciting option for fans would be seeing 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell win the job in camp and show he is ready to be an impact NHL player.
Marchand knows there is going to be a battle for the job over the next month-plus. So, what does he expect to see from those competing for it?
"The biggest thing is that guys come in and try to do too much. Understand that, for our group especially, the details are what allows you to have success and stay," Marchand said. "I think first and foremost, they want to see you be able to make plays and take advantage of situations, but you've got to be able to be responsible on both sides of the puck and managing how you play with it.
"So, just because you're a skill guy, doesn't mean you're going to earn that spot because you can dangle through three guys. You've got to be able to be very responsible defensively, especially playing with Chuck and I. We kind of play both sides of the puck and play against a lot of teams' top lines, so it's as much about being really strong defensively as it is offensive and understanding the game management -- when to try to beat guys, when you have to chip it in. And it takes a lot of time.
"A lot of times guys will get up -- I remember one game I played with Marc Savard and felt like I had to do something every time I touched the puck and make highlight-reel plays, and the game went awful for me. So, it's just about being comfortable with what allows you to have success and playing within the system."
Marchand's focus on details and defense shouldn't be surprising, but his comments are still interesting. It's one thing when a coach puts an emphasis on those aspects of the game, as Montgomery often does. It's another when it's a player saying that's what he wants and expects from a prospective linemate.
If you were setting betting lines, Marchand's comments might shift the odds towards Frederic and Geekie, who have years of NHL experience and have already bought into the Bruins' system. Marchand saying "it takes a lot of time" to learn the finer details of the NHL game would not seem to favor Lysell, who has yet to play an NHL game and who was called out by Providence Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel for not fully buying in just last season.
That doesn't necessarily mean Marchand's comments are any sort of diss to Lysell, though. They could instead be seen as a challenge to the 21-year-old more than anything. Perhaps Marchand just wants to make it very clear what is going to be expected from the rookie if he's going to be the one who ends up playing on that line.
