Our 15 bold predictions for the 2023-24 Boston Bruins
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With the Bruins’ 2023-24 season set to get underway on Wednesday night, let’s run through some of our bold predictions for a revamped roster featuring plenty of new faces — but still entrenched by a few franchise fixtures.
1. Matthew Poitras plays the entire season with the Bruins
Once considered a long shot to even sniff the NHL as a 19-year-old prospect, Poitras accelerated his timeline after acing every test that Jim Montgomery and Co. handed him during five preseason games. Boston now has nine games to determine if Poitras can endure the punishment that comes with an 82-game gauntlet in the NHL ranks.
Even though questions remain about whether the 5-11, 180-pound forward can hold his own night in and night out at hockey’s highest level, the 2022 second-round pick has done little to dissuade from the notion that he belongs.
Not only does Poitras stick around beyond his upcoming nine-game trial, he eventually finishes the year skating on a second line with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk — with Charlie Coyle slotted down to the third line.
Boston’s dearth of capable options at center following Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s retirement has loomed over this Original Six franchise for years. It might have taken the Bruins just a few months to find one in-house solution.
2. Mason Lohrei plays 40+ games in the NHL
For all of the rancour regarding Mason Lohrei’s demotion to Providence just ahead of Boston’s season opener, Bruins fans really shouldn’t fret.
After accelerating his developmental timeline with an impressive preseason slate, Boston’s top blueline prospect will benefit from logging 25+ minutes a night in the AHL to open the new season, especially with Lohrei likely getting the keys to the P-Bruins’ power-play unit.
“Mason had a great year,” Montgomery said of the message to Lohrei after getting assigned to Providence. “The message is, we’re really deep on the back end, and for him to get the minutes he needs for his development, he needs to go down and play some significant minutes in Providence. For us, we know he’s gonna be a big part of our future. We’ve seen it. He’s a really good hockey player. It’s just a matter of time.”
Lohrei offers tremendous promise as a poised playmaker on the back end with a 6-foot-5 frame that will continue to fill out over the years. After building on his game under heavy reps in Providence, Lohrei eventually earns a call-up to Boston in January and sticks around all season.
3. Milan Lucic wins 7th Player Award
No, he’s not the same top-six juggernaut he was during his prime years in Boston. But be it nostalgia or the cacophony of cheers that will rain down from the Garden seats whenever he drops the gloves, Lucic runs away with the fan voting for the 7th Player Award, handed out annually to the player who…
Read More: Our 15 bold predictions for the 2023-24 Boston Bruins 2023-10-10 23:53:00