Bruins Training Camp 2024: Four Key Storylines to Watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
In just a few weeks, the 2024-25 NHL season will be upon us. That means training camps are about to begin across the league.
The Boston Bruins open training camp on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Massachusetts, in preparation for the upcoming season.
Expectations remain high for the Bruins. Last season, they won their first playoff series since 2021, but for the second year in a row, their postseason journey was ended by the Florida Panthers.
The B’s have been busy in the offseason. They made a splash in free agency by signing top-six center Elias Lindholm and top-four defenseman Nikita Zadorov. They also traded former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in a move that freed up salary cap space and brought in two players.
This roster is one of the largest and toughest in the league, which could make playing the Bruins even more difficult, especially as April and May roll around.
Here are four key storylines to keep an eye on as the Bruins’ training camp gets underway.
Jeremy Swayman’s Contract Situation and the Competition for Backup Goalies
The biggest question mark surrounding the Bruins as training camp approaches is the status of No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman. The 25-year-old netminder has not yet been signed as a restricted free agent.
Swayman is set to receive a huge raise after earning $3.475 million last season — the salary he was awarded in arbitration. Both sides decided not to pursue arbitration, which wasn’t surprising given how vocally Swayman has been about his dislike of the arbitration process.
Swayman is a top 10 goalie and was the standout player at his position during the first two rounds of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins would have been eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs if Swayman had not been so brilliant in net.
!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]) {var e = document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”); for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r
There is no hard deadline for the Bruins and Swayman to meet until Dec. 1. He must be signed by that date to play the remainder of the season, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement. That’s plenty of time to work something out, but the situation could become a distraction for the team the longer it goes on.
It would be bad for the Bruins if they had to open the regular season on October 8 against the Florida Panthers with Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi as their two available goalies. So it would be in the best interest of the Bruins, who have approximately $8.64 million in salary cap space (via PuckPedia ), to do so as soon as possible.
Whatever happens with Swayman, the backup goaltending position is one to keep an eye on. Korpisalo was terrible last season, going 21-26-4 with an .890 save percentage and 3.27 GAA for the Senators. He did, however, play decently well for the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23. Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa is the best at the position, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make some necessary adjustments to Korpisalo’s game.
Bussi has played well in Providence the past two seasons and is ready to compete for a reserve role at the NHL level. He is an exciting prospect with a bright future.
Who plays on the second line as right winger?
Perhaps the most interesting battle for the second line right wing position will be the battle for the second line right wing position. This player will most likely play alongside left wing Brad Marchand and center Charlie Coyle.
The Bruins lost Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen in the offseason, leaving them with less depth on the wings. While DeBrusk and Heinen were inconsistent at times, they scored 19 and 17 goals, respectively, last season. Replacing 36 goals is no easy task.
The top candidates for the role are likely, in no particular order, Morgan Geekie, Trent Frederic, Fabian Lysell, Matthew Poitras and Georgii Merkulov.
Frederic has good chemistry with Coyle, having played over 900 5-on-5 minutes with him over the past two seasons, and the 25-year-old forward has set a career-high in goals scored in each of the past two seasons (17 in 2022-23, 18 in 2023-24). Geekie has the type of two-way skillset that would suit Marchand and Coyle, and he also scored a career-high 17 goals last season (nearly double his previous high). Merkulov has very little experience as a right winger and is best suited as a center.
Lysell earning the job is probably the best-case scenario for the Bruins. It’s time for the 2021 first-round pick to show he can be a viable NHL player. He has all the offensive skills you want — a great shot, impressive playmaking ability, very good speed, etc. — but the question is whether he can handle the defensive responsibilities that come with playing with Marchand and Coyle. That line often plays against the opponent’s top six forwards.
The competition for this spot will be quite exciting in the coming weeks.
How do new guys adjust?
Elias Lindholm was Boston’s biggest offseason addition. He’s a legitimate top-six center who should make a seamless transition to the top line alongside Pavel Zacha on the left wing and David Pastrnak on the right wing. Lindholm plays a Patrice Bergeron-esque all-around game, including the ability to excel on both special teams units. Head coach Jim Montgomery should be able to use the Swedish center in just about any situation.
Mark Kastelic was acquired by the B’s in June as part of the Linus Ullmark trade with the Ottawa Senators. He could quickly become a fan favorite with his hard-hitting, physical style of play. He is a candidate for the role of fourth-line center.
The B’s signed forward Max Jones in free agency, and he’s another potential bottom-six prospect. The 2016 first-round pick is expected to score 19 points for the Anaheim Ducks in 2022-23 and 15 points in 2023-24.
The blue line will look a little different following the departures of Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevin Shattenkirk in free agency. But the team does have several players who are primed for bigger roles, most notably Mason Lohrei and possibly Parker Wotherspoon. The only major addition to the group was the signing of free agent defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]) {var e = document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”); for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r
Zadorov is 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, and he’s not afraid to use that size to block shots, clear traffic from the front of the net and deliver big shots. He’ll definitely add some snarl to the blue line.
Zadorov can play in any position, but the most logical place for him is on the left side of the first duo, next to Charlie McAvoy.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching him from a distance, the player he is and the career he’s had. I’m really excited for the opportunity to have him here. He really rounds out our defense,” McAvoy told reporters after a captain training earlier this month.
“We have a little bit of everything, and I’m just really happy that he’s here, and if I get the chance to play with him, I think we’ll get along really well. I think we’ll do really well together.”
Young talents who want to make it to the selection
The Bruins were able to integrate rookie centers Matthew Poitras and Johnny Beecher, as well as defenseman Mason Lohrei, into the lineup early last season. Poitras and Beecher were on the Opening Night roster. Poitras wasn’t expected to compete for a roster spot anytime soon, but he played so well in training camp and the preseason that the Bruins had to keep him.
The group of talents that could compete for a spot in the squad this year include Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Riley Duran, John Farinacci, Marc McLaughlin and goalkeeper Brandon Bussi.
After losing Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and James van Riemsdyk in the off-season, there are a few roster spots up for grabs in training camp, especially on the wings.
