The Boston Bruins' blueline could be their ticket to success.
The Boston Bruins are entering the 2024-25 season with pretty high expectations. They should be among the top teams in the Eastern Conference yet again, and this is especially so after their eventful summer. While they lost some notable names like Linus Ullmark, Jake DeBrusk, and Danton Heinen, they also made moves to improve their roster elsewhere.
The Bruins notably focused on their blueline, signing top free-agent defender Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million contract. Their left side lacked a big and mean top-four defenseman, but now they have fixed that by landing Zadorov. With this move, the Bruins have improved an already strong blueline.
Let's look at what the Bruins' potential defensive pairings could be at the start of the season, barring any sudden injuries or changes.
First Pairing: Nikita Zadorov & Charlie McAvoy
This pairing has the potential to be highly effective. This is because Zadorov and McAvoy are not only steady defensively but also provide plenty of physicality. With the Bruins looking to be tougher to play against, having these two on the same pairing seems like a perfect match.
Second Pairing: Hampus Lindholm & Brandon Carlo
The second pairing of Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo should remain together. These two have worked well together more often than not, and it should translate over to next season. Carlo is effective in a shutdown role, creating more freedom for Lindholm to take more offensive chances.
If Lindholm gets his offense back up like in 2022-23 and Carlo remains extremely responsible defensively, they should be considered among the best second pairings in the league.
Third Pairing: Mason Lohrei & Andrew Peeke
The Bruins' third pairing should also provide plenty of optimism heading into 2024-25. Youngster Mason Lohrei showed immense promise this past season, and he has the potential to take another big step forward next season as he continues to adjust to the sport's most competitive league.
Peeke's contributions to this pairing should not be overlooked. The Florida native proved to be a solid addition to the Bruins' roster last season. Furthermore, like Carlo, Peeke's shutdown nature will give Lohrei more opportunities to jump up into the rush. He is also only 25 years old, so he still has time left to hit a new level.
The Bruins also have Parker Wotherspoon as an excellent seventh defenseman to round out their depth. Given his ability to play both sides, he should get plenty of opportunities to get into the lineup next season.
With all of this, it is hard not to feel good about the Bruins' blueline heading into next season, and it will be interesting to see what kind of year they put together because of it.
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