With the 2021-22 NHL season upon us, it is time to look at some Boston Bruins players who could be x-factors in the new campaign and who aren’t being talked about enough for their potential to make a positive impact.
Whether you look at younger forwards like Jack Studnicka, or veterans like Jake DeBrusk, Mike Reilly, and several others, the keys to success could very well reside with the middle of the roster types. These players and their ability to provide quality support and two-way contributions to the top of the lineup will determine if the B’s can make another playoff run with the veteran core, or if that window is all but closed.
This is a quick analysis of these x-factor types and how they could ease the doubts and concerns about whether the Bruins can continue to keep their standing among the NHL’s upper echelon of clubs.
Watch for these players during the exhibition game schedule and when the NHL regular season gets underway in mid-October.
Forwards
Jake DeBrusk, LW; 6-0/194- At one time Boston’s biggest rising star after a 27-goal campaign in 2019 that would have translated to about 30-35 had he not missed 14 games, the 2015 first-rounder's stock has fallen in the two years since.
When at his best, DeBrusk is flying up the ice and using his excellent release and natural goal-scoring knack to fill the back of the net. Unfortunately, he’s always been a streaky scorer going back to his junior and AHL days. With the associated challenges surrounding the disruptions of the past two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DeBrusk, who turns 25 next month, may have been impacted more negatively than most. As high as expectations are with pro athletes, they aren’t robots, and both DeBrusk and head coach Bruce Cassidy recently talked about how the changes to his routine might have contributed to the declining production.
DeBrusk has looked happier and engaged in the early captains practices at Warrior Ice Arena. He’s getting his speed going and has a little of the old swagger back. With Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall firmly at the top of the lineup on the left side, DeBrusk could develop into a quality third-liner who can exploit favorable matchups.
Erik Haula, C/LW; 6-0/193- One of Boston’s day one free agent signings, Haula has primarily been a left wing in the NHL, but can play center. Given that he was one of the first players brought in to compensate for the loss of David Krejci, expect him to get a real crack at being the third-line pivot with his experience and 29-goal, 55-point campaign three years ago.
It doesn’t make sense that the B’s would sign Haula to play him on the fourth line wing, assuming DeBrusk is locked in as the third-line wing. If he’s centering a line with DeBrusk and Nick Foligno, however, that’s a pretty good use of assets and salary structure. Haula is not the dynamic skater that those two are, but he’s cerebral and skilled- he should be able to get them the puck.
When Don Sweeney talked about the center by committee approach in the wake of Krejci’s departure, Haula and Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) make sense to bear the most immediate attention to fill that void up the middle. You could see some interchangeable movement between the two in the short term as we see if the two NHL veterans can handle the duties.
If not, Sweeney and his pro scouts will keep looking on a mission that is easier said than done.
Jack Studnicka, C/RW; 6-1/195- After a disappointing step backward in 2020-21, the Ontario native stayed in the Boston area over the summer and put in the weight room time, adding more than 15 pounds of muscle onto his lean frame.
As one of the team’s top prospects, the second-round pick in 2017 was expected to be a full-time Bruin a year ago, but was unable to handle the NHL rigors and went back down to Providence. He had trouble finding his way there, too. After a reset, he looks poised and confident to make the Boston roster and establish himself on the lower lines, using that opportunity to work his way up.
“I feel more explosive,” Studnicka said recently when asked about the impact of the added mass. “I wasn’t trying to put on all this bad weight, I was just trying to get faster and more explosive. I think it was just my body’s time- it’s kind of catching up. Fortunately, I weigh a bit more so I’ll hopefully be able to push off guys and hold the puck longer. Just gain more explosiveness.”
Studnicka also used the opportunity to see more of Boston and get more comfortable in the area.
If he can leverage the added weight and perspective along with his skating and natural instincts for the game, Studnicka could become a valuable role player as a rookie. It is wishful thinking in the extreme to believe he can be the second-line center on this team to replace Krejci right away, but he has the tools and upside to eventually be a second-line NHL center if he can keep progressing.
Defensemen
Mike Reilly, LD; 6-1/199- One of the least talked about players on the Boston blue line is in his prime at age 28, and is a superb transition game defenseman. Although not a hard, physical defender, he does hold his gaps and employ an effective stick. His best assets are his vision and ability to get back on pucks quickly and move them out.
The former University of Minnesota star isn’t going to score a lot of goals, but he’s a valuable puck distributor on the power play and will take some of the pressure off of Charlie McAvoy to have to “do it all” for the B’s. With a full training camp to prepare and plenty of minutes and opportunities to contribute in key situations, watch for Reilly to have a career year in Boston after his 27 points (all assists) split between Ottawa and the Bruins last season.
Reilly signed a three-year extension worth $9 million in July and provides the kind of skill, intelligence and experience that will likely be well worth the investment going forward.
Connor Clifton, RD; 5-11/195- The other prime candidate for the expansion draft, Clifton remains in Boston after the Kraken opted for Jeremy Lauzon.
Although lacking in ideal NHL size, Clifton has always been a junkyard dog-type of defender who plays bigger than his listed height and relishes taking the body. He’s got excellent wheels and likes to jump up into the play. His best value is in his ability to elevate his pace and urgency in the playoffs, where he has managed to earn minutes and trust in each of the last three postseasons despite being a regular-season spare part.
New Bruin defenseman Derek Forbort recently talked to media about the B’s having a good balance on the back end of offensive and defensive types, identifying the New Jersey native in the mix.
“You’ve got the more defensive guys like (Brandon) Carlo and Clifton,” he said. “So, I think having that balance on each pair is really good there.”
With McAvoy and Carlo clearly established as the top two right-side defensive pairings, Clifton has a chance to lock down the third spot in a regular rotation. With his near 100 games of regular-season NHL experience and his ability to play a two-way game, he can move up in the lineup in the event of an injury.
With two more years on a $1 million annual average value, don’t be surprised if Clifton uses the 2021-22 season to become a roster regular.
