Bruins Stuck in Purgatory

Even if few Bruins prospects forced Sweeney’s hand, that shouldn’t matter in a transition year. Development requires opportunity, not perfection in preseason tryouts. The reality is this: the youth playing in Providence who are right on the cusp of being NHL players are never going to be NHL players without the opportunity. It’s hard to fault inexperienced players for not proving themselves when their only opportunities come in a handful of preseason games. This is especially true when the Bruins have always put an emphasis on two-way play.

Bruins’ Development Stalled by Stubbornness

Two-way play is crucial in the NHL, and defensive lapses can’t be ignored. With that said, the best rosters in the NHL are constructed with the understanding that some players are designed to be snipers. Some are designed to be two-way skaters who can impact the game in all three zones. Not every player should be expected to become a grinder who abandons their natural style just to fit the Bruins’ mold. This is especially true when the entire reason they were scouted to the team, be it as prospects or free agents, was to play the way they played outside of Boston.

Right now, the Bruins’ effort level makes it hard to imagine them finishing anywhere other than near the bottom of the standings. Unfortunately, though, the same roster that opened 3-0-0 also seems capable of playing just well enough to finish outside the playoffs, but too well to secure a top draft pick. This is the worst spot a team can be, especially when they committed to a retool just one season prior, not with their words, but with their actions of holding a firesale at the Trade Deadline.

With the way things are going, the Bruins are heading towards a middling draft selection, a roster full of veterans and several young players with a lot of potential who will remain question marks heading into next season. There’s no reason why so many young, talented players are wasting away in Providence while the NHL roster falters game after game.

In the AHL, the Bruins have a plethora of young talent just chomping at the bit for an opportunity. Matt Poitras, Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell are the usual suspects, all performing at a point-per-game or better pace, but that doesn’t even begin to mention Dans Locmelis, Brett Harrison, Alex Steeves, Matej Blumel and even Riley Tufte, all of whom could bring in fresh blood over some of the veterans on the Bruins roster who simply aren’t showing enough to earn their roster spots right now.

The Bruins need to shake up their lineup sooner rather than later, or this season will be lost long before anyone expected.