Boston Bruins 2014-15 Season Preview

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May 14, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) leads his team off the ice after their 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in game seven of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON BRUINS

2013-14 RECAP

The Bruins proved to be the class of the Atlantic Division, as expected, as they ended up winning the President’s Trophy as the top club in the entire NHL over the regular season and went into the playoffs as overwhelming favorites to make at least the Stanley Cup Fina. However, after eliminating the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games they fell to the upstart Montreal Canadiens in7 games for an early round 2 exit.

Feb 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Shawn Thornton (22) skates with the puck during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

CHANGES

IN – none

OUT– Jarome Iginla, Shawn Thornton, Andrej Meszaros

It was a quiet off-season in Boston as the Bruins were fighting cap issues that resulted from the previous season, tying their hands. The contract bonuses to Jarome Iginla, Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug carry over almost $5M to the cap for the coming season, and they are already over the cap with Krug and Reilly Smith still to sign. Marc Savard‘s $4+M will come off the cap, but the Bruins still might have to make a move to get below the number. The Bruins will look to Ryan Spooner and a number of other young players to step up and create competition, and to make up for the loss of Iginla, who tied with Patice Bergeron for the club lead in goals.

Don’t underestimate the loss of Thornton, who was a heart and soul Bruin that the club had to make the difficult decision to move on without, because they didn’t have room for a head cheerleader on the roster.

Apr 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) takes a shot in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

3 BIG QUESTIONS

1. How much does Zdeno Chara have left? – Although he was a Norris Trophy finalist, Chara is definitely showing signs of slowing down and the Bruins have started to ration the minutes of their captain. He is still a force, but the window is quickly closing for the big man.

2. Will anybody in the Atlantic push the Bruins? – Boston basically skated through the regular season knowing from the start that they were the best team and pretty much guaranteed a playoff spot. For the Bruins to be successful in the post-season, they need to be challenged in the regular seaon, even if they are still the best team in the division once again. The most likely candidates are the Lightning and the Habs.

3. How much better will Patrice Bergeron get? – Bergeron has been one of the top two way players in the NHL for a couple of years, and yet he continues to improve and get better. While he might never be a top end point producer, he should be mentioned in the same breath as Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews when it comes to all-around players.

Apr 12, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) passes in front of Buffalo Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons (28) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

PREDICTION

The Bruins have the best roster in the division and one of the top goalies in the league in Tuukka Rask, However, Rask must shoulder a majority of the games because unproven Niklas Svedberg is now the backup. The Bruins lost Iginla for nothing, and that will be missed, but they still have one of the deepest teams in all areas of the game, forward, defense and goaltending. With Rask and Patrice Bergeron collecting hardware last season, the Bruins still have top end talent and will be among the favorites for the Stanley Cup.