Boston Bruins President Cam Neely, General Manager Don Sweeney and Coach Jim Montgomery all spoke at the opening of Bruins training camp on Wednesday, looking forward to 2023-24 rather than lingering on last season's disappointment.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – For nearly five months, the Boston Bruins were forced to grapple with the crash landing of a 2022-23 season that soared to unprecedented heights.
After winning an NHL-record 65 games in the regular season and taking a 3-1 series lead in the first round against the Florida Panthers, the Bruins dropped the next three games – including two in overtime – to squander their best chance to win the Stanley Cup in years.
As if you needed any reminder.
The ensuing summer was filled with personnel turnover and questions about what could have been. However, with Boston’s training camp officially opening on Wednesday, the top of the organization made it clear how they feel when it comes to addressing last season.
“I’m a believer in [that] my rearview mirror is broken,” Bruins President Cam Neely said. “You can certainly learn from the past, take some things away from that, but the page has turned. We have a new season coming up.”
In an offseason full of change, the next chapter officially started on the first day of camp, when the team announced Brad Marchand would replace Patrice Bergeron as captain.
While some continuity remains in passing the ‘C’ off from one longtime Bruin to another, this Centennial season will still be one of transition.
With the retirements of Bergeron and David Krejci this summer, the Bruins lost a large piece of their identity up the middle of their lineup, and with other high-impact forwards such as Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi now on other teams, the entire forward group will look much different than last season.
“Obviously when you lose players that have been here for any length of time, especially special players, there’s always some kind of transition,” Neely said. “And you don’t always have the luxury of being able to have a player that just comes in and fills that void.”
While no sole player would be able to directly fill the shoes that Bergeron and Krejci left behind, respectively, Bruins management is preaching to both the offseason acquisitions and returning players that major opportunities are available on the roster.
“We’ll move people around to give people different opportunities to show us what they have,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “We’re trying to give every player an opportunity. And there’s tons of opportunity this year to become a Boston Bruin. The players that perform the best are gonna earn the right to wear the Bruins jersey starting on Oct. 11 (Opening Night).”
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney pointed to forwards Jakub Lauko and AJ Greer as younger players who earned their spot on the opening roster last season. Greer especially stayed in the mix last season, appearing in 61 games after playing in just 10 across the prior two seasons with the New Jersey Devils.
“[Last year, Lauko and Greer] just made sure the decision was really hard on us, and rightfully so. They played well and everybody in that room should realize that they can be next.”
Lauko and Greer will both be in the mix for bottom six spots again, but the competition will be deeper. Familiar face Milan Lucic is back in the fold, as are new faces such as Morgan Geekie and Patrick Brown, among others. Younger AHL prospects including John Beecher and Fabian Lysell will be fighting to prove they belong at the next level, and even Alex Chiasson and Danton Heinen will be getting looks on Professional Tryout Agreements (PTO).
“That was the first message that I talked to the group today about training camp is the ultimate opportunity,” Sweeney said. “Whether you’re on PTO or you’re an established player, we make our decisions as a business.”
Whatever combination of players make up the opening night lineup, it will look very different from the team that won 65 games last year, at least up front. 2022-23 will always represent missed opportunity, and rather than ‘breaking’ the rearview window like Neely, Sweeney is opting for a slightly different approach.
“Scar tissue is what it is, and it exists,” Sweeney said. “Each and every one of us will take the disappointment and apply it going forward. The expectations, I said, they don’t change. We didn’t expect to win 65 games last year. I don’t expect to win 65 games this year. But I do expect us to be a highly competitive team from Day 1, and to take the approach that we’re going to be a tough out each and every night.”