Without a doubt, the Boston Bruins need to address a few gaps in their roster. With the appropriate moves made this offseason, centre, left-shot defence, and wing may all be improved.
The Bruins still have unanswered questions, including as whether to re-sign 19-goal scorer Jake Debrusk. Will goalie Linus Ullmark, one of the team’s best available assets, be traded? What free agent targets will the team pursue? Every choice made will impact the roster for the upcoming season.
David Pastrnak, the team’s top scorer, needs assistance offensively. The player who scored 47 goals has 43 more points overall than the next player on the list. Pastrnak has continued to be among the league leaders in goal scoring even in the absence of a legitimate number one centre. However, the Florida Panthers outshot and out-chanced Boston by a significant amount during the postseason, and Boston’s five-on-five scoring opportunities were a weakness. When it comes to shooting attempts, the coaching staff’s mentality is quality above quantity, but is that the best way to approach the game given the dearth of playmaking centres?
In light of this, should head coach Jim Montgomery alter his methods of instruction? While leading the Panthers three games to none in a first-round series last season, Montgomery came under fire for frequently switching lines and making roster changes. Even though the Panthers were winning at the dot in the second round of this season, Montgomery continued to shake up the lineup, replacing John Beecher, the team’s top faceoff centre to that point.
There are those who believe Montgomery did a good job leading a team that some thought might not make it to the postseason. Rather, the team advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and narrowly missed winning the Atlantic Division championship. The squad overachieved in such scenario, correct? Okay, so perhaps not. Looking ready to exact revenge for their shocking loss the previous year, the Bruins won Game 1 in Florida. But the offence continued to let the club down, and Montgomery didn’t seem to have many solutions or changes to make.
The administration of the Bruins is responsible for locating the two essential players that the team needs to be a Stanley Cup contender. But without an extension, Montgomery’s three-year contract is about to expire, so he will have to demonstrate that he is the best candidate for the position.
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