These three Boston Bruins players could surprise many next season.
These three Boston Bruins players could surprise many next season.
The 2023-24 season was an overall success for the Boston Bruins, especially when noting that it was a bridge year for the Original Six club. A primary reason for their success was that players like Danton Heinen, Morgan Geekie, and Charlie Coyle hit higher levels.
Heading into 2024-25, we could see more Bruins step up and be big surprises. Thus, discuss three Bruins who could be surprises next season now.
Justin Brazeau
Justin Brazeau was a great feel-good story for the Bruins this past season. After spending three seasons with the Providence Bruins on AHL deals, he earned a contract with the Bruins in February. From there, he stayed in the NHL for the remainder of the season, recording five goals, seven points, and 43 hits in 19 regular-season games. He also had two points in nine playoff games.
Overall, Brazeau started his NHL career strongly and showed promise. Due to this, he is expected to have a real shot at securing a top-nine role and power-play time. If he continues to trend in the right direction, he could break out for the Bruins in 2024-25.
Mark Kastelic
The Bruins acquired Mark Kastelic from the Ottawa Senators as one of the pieces of the Linus Ullmark trade. The Phoenix, Arizona native appeared in 63 games last season with the Senators, recording five goals, five assists, and a minus-5 rating. While the 6-foot-3 center had a quiet year offensively, he was impactful with his physicality, posting 63 penalty minutes and 126 hits. This element of his game could make him a sneaky good addition to the Bruins' bottom six.
However, Kastletic also has the potential to take his offense to a new level. It is important to note that he is still only 25 years old, so there is still time for him to take another step forward. If he does and maintains his tenacious style of play, he could be a real force for the Bruins.
Georgii Merkulov
Former first-round pick Fabian Lysell may be generating the most buzz heading into training camp, but Georgii Merkulov should not be ignored. With an open roster spot in the Bruins' top nine, Merkulov has a real shot at making the NHL roster.
Merkulov has shown incredible promise at the AHL level. During his first AHL season with the Providence Bruins in 2022-23, he had 24 goals and 55 points in 67 games. He followed that up with 30 goals and 65 points in 67 contests with the Baby B's in 2023-24. Clearly, the Ryazan, Russia native is a skilled forward, and he could become an impactful player for Boston this season because of it.
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