When it comes to pitching hypothetical quick fixes for this Bruins' roster — it's been the same ol' narrative for years now.
Even though each new season brings its own set of unique challenges and circumstances, the Bruins have been felled for years now by a particular flaw in their lineup — a lack of stability (and outright talent) to David Krejci's right after Jarome Iginla departed in 2014.
Ever since Iginla lit the lamp 30 times and promptly headed west to Colorado, Boston's second line (despite regularly getting propped up by the regularly under-appreciated Krejci) has been drained by that ever-present back hole at right wing, with that vacancy often drawing much of Don Sweeney's attention at trade deadlines — and regularly leading to frustrating results.
It was that vacancy that prompted Sweeney to part ways with a first-round pick, Ryan Lindgren, and other assets to pry Rick Nash out of New York back in 2018 — a move that, admittedly, could have been very fruitful for years had Nash not had his career cut short off of a cheap shot from Cedric Paquette.
It was a vacancy that stuck out like a sore thumb during Boston's run all the way up to Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final — with Karson Kuhlman standing as the final entrant on a carousel of wingers that Bruce Cassidy rolled out in vain throughout the year in an effort to get that line buzzing.
And it was a vacancy that Sweeney thought he finally addressed when they parted ways with another first-round pick as part of a larger deal that brought aboard analytics darling Ondrej Kase — who fit the mold as a shot-first winger that should thrive next to a pivot with the playmaking prowess of Krejci.
And yet, with Kase limited in terms of production last year up in the Toronto bubble — and with his return this season still in doubt due to a probable concussion — it seems rather inevitable that Boston will be following a similar script this deadline, with names like Kyle Palmieri, Conor Garland, Taylor Hall and many more tossed around as the next missing piece that will help realize the dormant potential present on Krejci's line.
But this year, said script might have a plot twist or two in store for us. Because right now, that second line seems to be in the midst of a 5v5 renaissance — with two in-house wingers smack dab in the middle of this unexpected resurgence.
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March 31, 2021 at 01:52PM
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Have the Bruins - at long last - found the right fit on David Krejci's line in Ritchie, Smith? - bostonsportsjournal.com
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