Blinksportsnews247It’s startling to see the Boston Bruins leading both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break given the personnel change from the previous campaign. They need contributions from more than just their best players to be in this position, and second-year head coach Jim Montgomery has undoubtedly demonstrated this.
David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm are players you can always count on, but the players who have emerged over the first 49 games of the 2023–24 season have surprised some. These three Bruins contributed to their 31-9-9 record this season and have come as a huge surprise.
Van Riemsdyk James
Don Sweeney, the general manager (GM), was limited in his ability to resign free agents, both individually and collectively, throughout the summer. He went on a discount hunt and signed $1 million for a one-year contract with seasoned player James van Riemsdyk. How significant this is becoming.
The former Philadelphia Flyers forward has eight goals and twenty-four assists in forty-five games this season, with a plus/minus of plus-8. His greatest contributions come during power plays, when he does a great job of having a net-front presence and setting up goals by completing or passing the ball. Five of his eight goals have come when he has the man-advantage. He has three game-winning goals. He has been a tremendous asset to Boston in every circumstance.
Morgan Geekie
As a restricted free agent (RFA), Morgan Geekie was able to join with any team because the Seattle Kraken chose not to extend a qualifying offer to him. As a result, he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA). On the first day of free agency, Sweeney signed Geekie and quickly came to an agreement.
Sweeney made most of the deals he signed last one year, but Geekie signed a two-year contract worth $2 million on average annually. His ability to play on the wing and slide into the middle has been really valuable, and he has been effective going up and down Montgomery’s lineup. Despite his occasional inconsistency, he finished with eight goals, 14 assists, and a plus-10 rating. He has established himself in the middle of the Black and Gold lineup and is well on his way to reaching career highs in goals, assists, and points.
Matthew Poitras
After training camp, Matthew Poitras earned a spot for the first nine games, but the Bruins had to decide what to do with their second-round pick in 2022. They had to decide whether to keep him in Boston or send him to his junior team, the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), as he was not eligible to play for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL). They selected the first one, and for the 54th overall pick in Montreal’s 2022 Entry Draft, it was a swift journey from the OHL to the NHL.
The biggest concern was whether or not he could play in the NHL given his small stature of 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds. Talent and skill were never in doubt. He demonstrated during the preseason that there wouldn’t be a problem, and there hasn’t been. He has five goals and ten assists in 33 games, but his main contribution has been his ability to play. He isn’t the fastest player, but he makes far more good plays than bad ones. Even though Poitras is a terrific player for the Bruins, he still has a lot to learn and grow through.
The Bruins are without a doubt one of the NHL’s biggest surprises of the current season during the All-Star Break. The second two months of the season will be more difficult as the team prepares for the playoffs, which will be the focus of attention following their shocking first-round loss to the Florida Panthers the previous year. Although this is a different club, Boston still has the same expectations now and going forward.
Blinksportsnews247
