The Boston Bruins have a history of players stepping up unexpectedly to help them reach the next level. Brad Marchand did it in 2011 to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, while players like Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy were catalysts to their 2013 and 2019 Stanley Cup Final runs. The worry for the Bruins is that their dominance over the past decade is coming to a close. Those concerns remain because of the chances of some veteran regression in the 2024-25 season.
The Bruins don't have many candidates to be those players that step up this season. Marchand, Krug, and McAvoy showed the potential of being those players back then, but Fabian Lysell is one of a few who could be that guy for the Bruins in 2024-25. The Bruins looked like they would regress last season, but some veterans had stellar seasons. They'll need that to happen again to avoid slipping down the Atlantic Division standings.
So, what happens if the Bruins show signs of regression? The Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs show no signs of slowing down. They'll also have some resistance from the Detroit Red Wings, who improved this offseason but may not be ready to compete with the top three teams. The Bruins could battle the Red Wings for a wild-card spot, a far cry from their past two seasons.
The Atlantic Division could own both wild-card spots this year, as the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Carolina Hurricanes look like good bets to dominate the Metropolitan Division. How will Bruins fans feel if their 2024-25 season features a battle for the wild card with the Red Wings, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders? They better hope these players don't regress to avoid that.
How many more years can Brad Marchand give the Bruins?
The Bruins don't need Marchand to be a 100-point player like his 2018-19 success. Marchand has been one of the most unlikely superstars of the past decade, cementing himself as a possible Hall-of-Fame candidate. He can do it all on the ice. He penalty kills, agitates, and became one of the best point-producing wingers of the mid-2010s.
Marchand and Patrice Bergeron created the league's best dynamic duo since 2011. Marchand made the Bruins that season as a bottom-six player who spent more time in the penalty box than on the score sheet. The Bruins began elevating his role towards the end of the season, which ended with him playing on the second line with Bergeron and Mark Recchi in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. Marchand's trip into Bruins lore ended with him and Bergeron scoring two goals each in Game 7 to win the Bruins' sixth Stanley Cup.
Marchand has been a fan favorite since and fittingly took the captaincy after Bergeron's retirement in 2023. It could've been difficult for Marchand to adjust to the new role last season, but he still managed to record 67 points in 82 games away from his right-hand man in Bergeron. Many feared that Charlie Coyle as the new first-line center could be a difficult adjustment, but Marchand made the most of it.
Marchand's 0.82 points per game last season was his lowest mark since 2015-16. It has been two consecutive seasons of less than a point per game for Marchand, who averaged that in six straight campaigns from 2016 to 2023. Marchand is still one of the Bruins' most valuable players. However, if his production continues to decline, and Coyle can't maintain last season's pace, will Brad Marchand have his worst season with the Bruins in 2024-25?
Charlie Coyle had career year in 2023-24
Bruins fans panicked when Bergeron and David Krejci retired after their historic 2022-23 season. The normally strong team down the middle was left with Coyle and Pavel Zacha as their top two centers. Both were able to fill in for those roles in the past, but it was unclear if they could do it for an entire season.
Coyle proved he could do it, producing a career-high 0.73 points per game. He and Marchand clicked as linemates, and he scored 25 goals, nine more than his previous best. The Bruins believed they may have found the answer to their center troubles, but Coyle and Zacha fell apart in the postseason. Coyle managed just one goal and four assists over 13 games.
The playoff performance showed Coyle is better as a third-line center, and Zacha could be better on the wing. The Bruins tried to fix that issue by signing Elias Lindholm in free agency. They'll also have Matthew Poitras returning from shoulder surgery, who proved to be a valuable young center last season.
The season will likely start with Coyle in the middle of Marchand and possibly Lysell on the second line. Meanwhile, Zacha will play on the wing with Lindholm and David Pastrnak. The Bruins could have the answer with these two lines, but don't be surprised if those lines eventually change. If Coyle and Marchand end up apart, or Poitras and Lindholm start stealing some of Coyle's minutes, there's a good chance he will regress in 2024-25.
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