BOSTON BRUINS
2016-17 record: 44-31-7 (95 points)
Lost to Ottawa in Conference quarrterfinals
Captain: Zdeno Chara
The Boston Bruins have been a team in transition for the last few years, and despite being inconsistent again, they did have more hot streaks and managed to give Ottawa a run for their money in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Bruins did little in the way of free agency, and are banking on their youth to make meaningful contributions.
Offensively, this is Brad Marchand's team, and though he has ramped up his offensive output, he also remains a pest, which puts the Bruins in trouble if he heads to the box. Having David Pastrnak step up is not only helpful, but also takes some of the pressure off of Marchand. The drawback here is Pastrnak is a RFA, which could be problematic if he misses any time to start the season. They could use another offensive defender to go along with Torey Krug, and that is where Charlie McAvoy has the potential to step in, as they Bruins are looking to go younger with Zdeno Chara about to hit 40 and Adam MacQuaid being a perpetual injury risk. Without any major free agent additions, it will be up to McAvoy, Pastrnak, and Brandon Carlo, among others to seize the opportunities afforded to them. In goal, Tuukka Rask had a good enough season, but was overused again, and unless the Bruins can figure out the backup situation, as Anton Khudobin didn't answer the question well enough, the Bruins could be one and done again.
Prediction: 5th in the Atlantic Division
The Bruins will be in tough to make the playoffs once again, with Tampa Bay unlikely to crater again after injuries decimated their unit and Florida having a sense of stability once again, but their core is still intact, and if the youth steps up in a major way, they could surprise.
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