An eventful week of NHL activity, beginning with the opening of free agency on July 28, came to a head on July 30, when Boston Bruins veteran center David Krejci announced Friday that he was returning to his native Czech Republic.
His decision has created a significant weakness in Boston’s forward lineup, and one that is not easily addressed in the immediate aftermath of Krejci making his departure official. Contrary to what had been reported in this space about his decision to extend his time in the NHL, we know now that he apparently was leaning toward an exit, leaving Boston GM Don Sweeney without a lot of time to develop a fallback plan.
There is still room for the second-line center vacancy to be filled via trade, but New England Hockey Journal will look at several options to at least address the situation in-house.
The Bruins will have their prospects development camp next week at the Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Mass. While it is not open to the public, we’ll preview some of the camp invites and provide coverage of the on-ice sessions next week.
Farewell to Krejci
We admit that we were off the mark on the Krejci decision, but without spending too much time on the post mortem, so much of what happened won’t ever see the light of day. He's a private guy, and will likely keep the details private. At age 35, Krejci had hinted for a while that he wanted to bring his kids home to the Czech Republic and finish out his playing career closer to family and friends. That has become a reality, so it is time to briefly look at his Boston legacy.
He had a tremendous career here as one of the most stable, consistent performers in the lineup since his breakthrough campaign in 2008-09. Although slight in build and not an explosive skater, Krejci had slick hands and a genius-level hockey IQ, which allowed him to be a prolific passer/playmaker. His 730 career points, all with the Bruins who drafted him late in the 2004 draft’s second round, rank second only to Patrice Bergeron among active players and eighth on the team’s list of all-time scorers. His 515 career assists is seventh in team history, just one behind Wayne Cashman, who played 65 more games as a Bruin than Krejci did.
In the playoffs, Krejci took it to another level. His 124 career postseason points (156 games) sits second only to Hall of Famer Ray Bourque. When it came to the games that mattered most and were the toughest to find offense in, Krejci was as good as they come.
What is curious about Krejci’s departure is that he leaves the NHL with 962 career NHL games. Durability has always been something that dogged him, as he would have eclipsed the 1,000 games mark several years ago. Maybe that symbolic threshold has no real meaning to Krejci, but it does beg some interesting questions going forward. Krejci did not retire from the NHL in his announcement. At the same time, once he plays a game in Europe after December 21, he would have to pass through NHL waivers if the Bruins were to sign him in the spring after his Czech season is over.
Instead of speculating further, it's appropriate to recognize Krejci’s outstanding service to the team and the city of Boston as one of the more unheralded stars in Bruins franchise history and wish him well as he writes a new chapter in his professional hockey life.
Center by committee?
With Krejci gone, Sweeney talked about a “center by committee” approach, which does not do a great deal to inspire confidence of an improvement over the team’s fortunes from the 2020-21 season. Here is a quick look at who on the 2021-22 roster might be tapped to fill some very big skates with No. 46 no longer lining up behind Bergeron.
Charlie Coyle: The B’s have tried to move the East Weymouth, Mass. native up in the lineup before with Krejci missing significant time to injury in 2019-20. Coyle is very good at what he does- playing a heavy, power game. He’s close to a career .5 points per game average, and is a known commodity, even coming off his worst statistical campaign with just 16 points in 51 games. Coyle will get the first opportunity to step in.
Erik Haula: Four years ago, the former Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Omaha Lancers and Minnesota Golden Gophers star scored 29 goals and 55 points with Vegas. Of all Boston’s options, the big Finn has the highest ceiling of available centers to bring closer to what Krejci did in a given season. On the flip side, Haula has been trending down offensively since that breakout year and run to the Stanley Cup final. A superb third-line option, Haula is a wildcard in the top-6.
Jack Studnicka: It was a disappointing season for Studnicka, who was broken in slowly at wing, but ultimately unable to stick in Boston. He’s reportedly having a very good offseason and has added about 10 good pounds to his frame and motivated to have a better year. Expecting him to come in and be an effective center right away would be folly, but he should get a shot on the lower lines and have a chance to work his way up. Barring some kind of miracle, second line duty this season is a bridge too far, however.
Nick Foligno: Although the former 2006 first-rounder has played center in the past, he’s been more of a winger during his NHL career. The gritty, two-way, character forward is a lot of things to any team he plays for, but second-line center is probably not one of them. He’ll turn 34 on Halloween and has only posted 50+ points in two of his 14 NHL seasons. He can play center as a matchup play, and will give the Bruins everything he has. But at this stage of his career, he’s more of a Swiss Army Knife vs. a top-6 scoring forward.
The verdict: Expect Sweeney to try and trade for another player who brings more of an established offensive presence with some upside. The team was linked to Arizona’s 25-year-old center Christian Dvorak leading up to the draft last week, and GM Bill Armstrong is looking to accumulate more assets for the Coyotes going forward. There might be some other options out there, but with a little under a million dollars in cap space, the B’s will have to get creative.
Bruins Development Camp mini-preview (undrafted free agent invitation players of note)
Forwards
Parker Ford, Providence College (Wakefield, R.I.): More than the sum of his parts. Fast, plays at top tempo and has an excellent shot. Versatile; he lives for big moments and could will himself to the NHL as a bottom-6 forward one day.
Marc McLauglin, Boston College (North Billerica, Mass.): Senior captain brings size and tenacity to the mix. Former Cushing Academy star plays an all-around game and is known for his tenacity and effort. Fan favorite, poised for a breakthrough offensive season with the Eagles.
Reed Lebster, UMass: Provides real vision and playmaking skills from the wing. He’s always been lean and light- will have to continue his physical maturation process. Michigan native played minor hockey under former Bruin Mike Knuble.
Matthew Kopperud, Arizona State: Gritty two-way forward from Colorado is a little engine that could type. Worked his way up through the junior ranks in multiple leagues in Canada, not giving up until becoming a near point-per-game guy as an overager for Dubuque in the USHL. Has the attitude and drive to play pro hockey one day.
Defensemen
Travis Mitchell, Cornell: Big (6-3, 201 pounds), rangy two-way left-shooting ‘D’ has NHL size and tools. Former Omaha Lancers captain sometimes tries to do too much, but as his game matures and he adds mass to his lean frame, he will be an intriguing free agent option for a lot of NHL teams. His dad, Jeff, was a rugged power forward who had a cup of coffee in the NHL with Dallas. On the downside, Cornell did not have a season due to COVID, so he might look rusty here.
Anton Malmstrom, Bowling Green: 6-foot-4 Swede didn’t play a regular season game in North America until he arrived in Ohio last season. He brings mobility and agility for such a big man. Raw, but look for a jump in production now that he’s adjusted to the smaller ice surface.
Brandon Scanlin, University of Nebraska-Omaha: Another big 6-foot-4 defenseman, Scanlin has put up two solid seasons in the NCDC with the Mavericks. He is tough to get around with his size and reach, but moves pucks efficiently. He has an underrated puck game, as evidenced by his junior production with one of the top teams in the Alberta (Tier 2) league.
Goaltender
Keith Petruzzelli, Qunnipiac (Wilbraham, Mass.): Coming off his fourth and best season with the Bobcats, the 6-foot-5, former third-round pick of Detroit was reportedly not offered a NHL contract, so he’s out to prove himself. Massive and athletic, he was drafted 23 spots ahead of Jeremy Swayman.
