The Boston Bruins will be a changed team from previous years, and there is a legitimate fear that they don't have players who are close to the level of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci who can man the center positions on the top two lines.

But this is a team that has been a playoff contender for years, and while there will be a major adjustments playing without their two veteran leaders, this is still a talented team that has many of the players who led the team to a record regular season finish last year.

Charlie Coyle gets an opportunity

The Bruins head into training camp with veterans Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha manning the center positions on the first two lines. Both will be asked to do more than they have in the past, and head coach Jim Montgomery will need to show some patience as the pair has to adjust to their new and greater responsibilities.

The immediate reaction is that neither player can fill the roles of the retired superstars, but that may not be the case. Coyle is big, strong center at 6-3 and 220 pounds, and he has been successful at maintaining possession of the puck within the offensive zone. The issue is how well he will be able to score and set up superstar linemates Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

Coyle scored 16 goals and 29 assists last year, which was solid production for a third- or fourth-line player. His numbers should improve playing with the Bruins best offensive players, but will he be accurate enough in his passes  for those players to stay at a high level?

Pavel Zacha ready to step up

Zacha appeared to come into his own after he was acquired by the Bruins from the New Jersey Devils. He demonstrated excellent skating ability and balance while showing the ability to make creative plays.

Zacha is coming off a career high in scoring after potting 21 goals and 36 assists last year. He got off to something of a slow start before demonstrating the ability to put the puck in the net with quite a bit of consistency.

Zacha is likely to be teamed with Jake DeBrusk and Trent Frederic. DeBrusk has been a solid goal scorer throughout his career with the Bruins, and he appeared to benefit from the hiring of Montgomery as head coach. He scored 27 goals and 23 assists last season, and he should be able to exceed the 30-goal mark this season.

Frederic is a hard-nosed player in the Bruins tradition who is not afraid to go into the corners with bad intentions and punish his opponent before coming up with the puck. He has shown he is not afraid to battle a legitimate tough guy like Washington's Tom Wilson and handle his business appropriately.

No. 3 center position appears to belong to Morgan Geekie

The Bruins now have an opening at the No. 3 center position, and the belief is that Morgan Geekie is prepared to fill that role. He flashed his talent with the Carolina Hurricanes for a couple of years before moving on to the expansion Seattle Kraken.

Geekie has not reached double-figures in goals any of his seasons, but the Bruins believe he is ready to reach that level and show that he is an effective two-way player. Geekie has the length at 6-2 to outreach his opponents, but his lack of thickness at 168 pounds is something that could become an issue in battle with teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

The Bruins seem likely to surround him with Jakub Lauko and ex-Flyer James van Riemsdyk. In the past, van Riemsdyk has shown he can be a big-time scorer with the ability to handle the net-front position on the power play. There is a question of whether he can still handle that role at the age of 34 since he totaled a modest 12 goals and 17 assists last season with Philadelphia. The Bruins believe that playing on a winning team will help him regain his scoring touch.

Lucic returns home

One of the most popular moves of the offseason for the Bruins was signing veteran free agent Milan Lucic. There is no doubt that Lucic is thrilled to be back with the team that he started his career with and earned a Stanley Cup in 2011.

When Lucic was with the Bruins from 2007 through 2015, he was a legitimate power forward who would assert himself with his body checking and scoring ability. He was a powerful force who scored 20 goals or more 6 times and 30 goals or more 3 times.

Lucic is no longer a threat to reach elite scoring levels, but he is still a tough, physical player who can win the battle with his fists when asked.

He has had an up-and-down career since leaving Boston and playing with the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames and  Edmonton Oilers. The Bruins are hoping Lucic still has something left in the tank at the age of 35.

Strength of the team

While the Bruins said goodbye to a pair of stars who will see their numbers hang from the rafters of TD Garden, they still have one of the best defensive crews in the NHL.

The No. 1 defense pairing of Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk have been playing together since their days together at Boston University. McAvoy is an elite NHL defenseman who may be behind Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, but he does not have to take a back seat to many others.

McAvoy is a big, powerful defenseman who will thump opponents, carry the puck and set up his teammates. If he could increase his goal total from 7 to 15 or more, he would have a legitimate shot at winning the Norris trophy.

Grzelcyk is an excellent skater who can carry the puck and set up his teammates. He can get worn down by physical play.

Hampus Lindholm has been a brilliant addition on the blue line since he was acquired in 2022 and Brandon Carlo is a solid defensive stalwart.

Young prospects

Many publications have downgraded the Bruins for their young prospects, but center Johnny Beecher, winger Fabien Lysell and defenseman Mason Lohrei all will have a chance to show what they can do in training camp and they could push for roster spots.

Beecher started slowly with Providence in the American Hockey League last year but showed quite a bit of improvement in the second half of the of the season. He appears to be an excellent defensive player who has a shot to make an impression as a penalty killer.

Lysell has an excellent shot and could develop into a legitimate goal scorer even though he lacks size at 5-10 and 172 pounds.

Lohrei was an accomplished defenseman in college at Ohio State, and looked like he could make the jump to the NHL in short order.

Unlikely to make the team

The Bruins are giving Danton Heinen and Alex Chiasson a chance to make the team with professional tryout opportunities.

Heinen is a former Bruin who spent the first 4 years of his career in Boston. He has been with the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins since then, and he is coming off a year with 8 goals and 14 assists.

Chiasson has been with 7 teams in career and has exceeded the 20-goal mark once, but it has been difficult for him to establish any consistency.

Final roster

Forwards: Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak, Trent Frederic, Pavel Zacha, Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, Jakub Lauko, Milan Lucic, Patrick Brown, A.J. Greer
Defensemen: Matt Grelcyk, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk
Goalies: Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman