It's been awhile, hasn't it? If you haven't kept up with the Bruins since they stumbled against Montreal last spring, there are a number of changes to get up to speed on.

THE BAD NEWS

Jarome Iginla, Shawn Thornton, and Johnny Boychuk are no longer with the team. The story behind all their departures, to varying degrees, can be summed up in two words: salary cap. Because these losses were mostly about staying under the cap, there really weren't any notable replacements made. This isn't as grim as it sounds though...

THE GOOD NEWS

This is because the core of last years team, who despite the disappointing early playoff exit did have the best record in the league, remains mostly in tact. Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic all return. First line center David Krejci received a six year contract extension this summer (although word came last night that he is going to miss the first week of the season due to an undisclosed injury suffered in the last preseason game).

THE DEFENSE

Despite the loss of Boychuk, the defense should remain solid. Young defensemen Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton are back and expected to continue improving. After missing most of last year with a knee injury, Dennis Seidenberg is ready-- he has been the B's second best d-man (when healthy) since being acquired in 2010. Anchoring the defense, once again, is Zdeno Chara. He looked tired at the end after logging huge minutes last year but remains one of the best in hockey. Oh, and that Tuukka Rask guy in net is pretty good...

THE OFFENSE

The offense is where there is a little bit more concern. Iginla's 30 goals need to be replaced somehow. The primary hope for replacing that production lays with Loui Eriksson, who is coming off his worst NHL season (just 10 goals). A return to form this season should net 25-30 goals. Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic, who all but disappeared in the playoffs, need to be more consistent but should produce as usual. Patrice Bergeron is Patrice Bergeron, which is to say one of the best two-way players in the game. Should Krejci's injury turn out to be anything serious, scoring may prove especially difficult as top line centers are impossible to replace and lead to a ripple effect on productivity as lines need to be shuffled.

KEEP AN EYE ON

If given the opportunity, I really feel like Ryan Spooner can bring a scoring touch to the Bruins fourth line that hasn't existed in recent years. With a full year of NHL play under his belt, Carl Soderberg should be ready to impress this year-- 25 goals wouldn't shock me. Dougie Hamilton is only going to get better, and playing alongside Chara should open up his game further. Keep an eye on Reilly Smith as well, he went cold late last year but has an unbelievable shot.

PREDICTION

Win the Stanley Cup! I know this sounds like a homer prediction, but this roster is so deep and the balance of young players on the rise and veterans in their prime is right at that sweet spot.

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 

 

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