| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Patrice Bergeron  ActivePatrice Bergeron may get more opportunities in the offensive zone in 2016-17. David Backes started 41.1 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the defensive zone, according to Corsica Hockey, which was the second-highest among forwards with 1,000 minutes or more. The Bruins can give him more of those responsibilities this year and deploy Bergeron on the attack after he started 34.6 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the defensive zone last season. Bergeron and Brad Marchand will be key offensive players for Boston, so more time spent on offense should help the team if Backes can handle the defensive zone. Sep 29 |
| 2 | David Krejci  SidelinedDavid Krejci is currently participating at the Bruins' training camp in a modified contact mode. That makes perfect sense as the talented pivot is recovering from off-season hip surgery. Notwithstanding his status Krejci seems to have taken a few bumps during scrimmages without any ill effects. "Sometimes you get some bumps when you don’t really want to, but I’m glad I did because I felt pretty good after it. It’s just another step closer. Practices are fun, but I’m looking forward to playing some games," said Krejci. Krejci is waiting to get clearance to play in an exhibition contest but all signs point to him being ready to go at full speed once the season starts. Sep 25 |
| 3 | David Backes ActiveDavid Backes understands that he could shuffle between linemates and positions in 2016-17. It's believed that he may start on the wing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, but he also could play center at times against larger lineups. "It's not going to be something that's set in stone," said Backes. "I think it will be an adjustment. Whatever [coach] Claude [Julien] thinks is necessary . . . when you're playing with good players, I think the old NHL maybe you were stuck in your lane and you just went up and down the wall, but [these days] it's pretty dynamic and fluid." Jul 28 |
| 4 | Noel Acciari SidelinedNoel Acciari appeared to injure his right leg in Wednesday's preseason match against Detroit. He left the game in the third period and wasn't able to return. Acciari skated in 19 games with Boston last season as well as 45 matches with Providence of the AHL. Sep 29 |
| 5 | Ryan Spooner ActiveRyan Spooner won just 4-of-16 draws in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Detroit. He was also given a penalty for a faceoff violation and the Red Wings ended up scoring on the power play. "I wasn't great on my faceoffs tonight, trying to cheat a little too much," Spooner said. "I think maybe I need to bear down a little bit more, maybe not try to win them clean but just tie up a little more. I just tried to cheat a little more and it didn't work." Spooner did manage to assist on Austin Czarnik's lone goal of the game for the Bruins in the second period. He wants to play center but he'll have to show improvement between now and the start of the season for that to happen. Sep 29 |
| 6 | Dominic Moore ActiveDominic Moore gives the Bruins a second left-handed shot at center. The Bruins only had one other left-handed center on the roster and that was Ryan Spooner. GM Don Sweeney admitted that the fact Moore is a lefty helped in their decision to bring him into the fold. "There’s the left-shot component and the fact that he’s been a veteran presence who can help on the power play," Sweeney said. "We had had discussions with Chris Kelly (who signed one-year, $900,000 deal in Ottawa) and some other guys, too, and this gives us some more depth up front." Bringing in Moore was a nice move, but despite what Sweeney says, don't expect him to contribute much on the power play. Aug 31 |
| 7 | Sean Kuraly ActiveSean Kuraly is viewed as a "sleeper" for a roster spot by Boston assistant GM Scott Bradley. If he lands a position on the Bruins then it will probably be as the team's fourth-line center. "There's got to be a (physical) edge in my play," said Kuraly, who had 23 points and 39 penalty minutes in 36 games with Miami University (Ohio) last year. "I like to get in on the forecheck and get under the skin of other guys. If I'm competing at a high level, I'm playing well, I'm in the game. I've got to be doing that to play at this level." Sep 28 |
| LW | 1 | Brad Marchand ActiveBrad Marchand's game-winning goal clinched the World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada, as they defeated Team Europe 2-1 on Thursday. Team Canada looked sluggish this evening and found themselves down 1-0 until Patrice Bergeron scored a power play goal with under three minutes remaining in regulation. Marchand followed that up by scoring a shorthanded goal with 43 seconds left in the third period. Marchand has a fantastic tournament for Canada. The 28-year-old scored two goals in the semifinal against Russia, a goal and an assist in Game 1 of the final and the game-winning goal in tonight's game. Sep 29 |
| 2 | Matt Beleskey ActiveMatt Beleskey believes that Jimmy Vesey made "a bad decision" by signing with the Rangers. Beleskey tweeted those words to Vesey's Twitter account after it was announced that the college free agent had signed with New York. The Bruins, who are Vesey's hometown team, were in the mix for his services, but they were unable to convince him to join their squad. Aug 21 |
| 3 | Frank Vatrano SidelinedFrank Vatrano underwent surgery Monday to repair torn ligaments in his left foot. "Timeline remains the same," said GM Don Sweeney. "Doctors felt it was the right thing to do for both the short and long term. All good on that front." Vatrano is slated to miss three months from an injury he sustained in a workout prior to training camp. Sep 27 |
| 4 | Anton Blidh ActiveAnton Blidh has agreed to an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. Blidh had five goals and 26 penalty minutes in 48 games with Frolunda HC of the Swedish league in 2014-15. He was originally taken by Boston with the 180th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. May 29 |
| RW | 1 | David Pastrnak ActiveDavid Pastrnak added some muscle during the offseason. "He’s a young guy who is understanding the game more and preparation more," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "Not that he didn’t train (after his rookie season); he trained. But I think he trained even better this year. He trained hard last year; he trained better this year. I think that’s where he’s taken a step in the right direction." The 20-year-old could be on his way to a breakout season in 2016-17. Sep 24 |
| 2 | Jimmy Hayes ActiveJimmy Hayes scored Boston's first goal of the preseason in a 3-2 shootout loss to Columbus on Monday. He didn't have a problem when GM Don Sweeney calling him out at the end of the 2015-16 campaign. "It's the truth, you've got to hear stuff," said Hayes. "He made it clear to myself, too. I expected more of myself. I've got to make sure to play this year at a high level." He recorded 13 goals and 29 points in 75 games last year. Sep 27 |
| 3 | Riley Nash ActiveThe Boston Bruins have signed Riley Nash. Nash had nine goals and 22 points in 64 games with Carolina in 2015-16. He's likely to serve as a bottom-six forward in Boston. Jul 1 |
| 4 | Tyler Randell ActiveTyler Randell's aim is to show that his contributions extend beyond fighting as that aspect of the game falls further and further out of favor. The AHL has adopted rules that hand a game misconduct for a fight occurring off of a faceoff and a players' 10th fight of the season now results in a one-game suspension. "I’ve always been able to fight, but that’s slowly coming out of the game, especially with the new rule in the AHL," Randell said. "It’s working it’s way up from the (Ontario Hockey League), the AHL, the 10-fight role. So that’s slowly coming out of the game. I’ve had to work on my skill game and being a good all-around hockey player." To that end he's been working on his skating over the summer. He had six goals, no assists, and 47 penalty minutes in 27 games with Boston in 2015-16. Sep 14 |
| 5 | Brian Ferlin ActiveBrian Ferlin has inked a one-year, two-way with Boston. He will earn $725,000 if he plays at the NHL level or $80,000 in the AHL. Ferlin picked up six goals and eight assists in 23 games with Providence last year and one helper in seven appearances with Boston. Aug 11 |
| D | 1 | Torey Krug ActiveTorey Krug is expected to be held out of contact drills on Friday after he underwent shoulder surgery back in Many. He may not participate in scrimmages either, but he will be on the ice with his teammates. Krug is excited to play Boston's new uptempo style for the 2016-17 season. "[Julien] doesn't mean skating up and down the ice, because in the NHL, guys get up and down the ice in relatively similar speed, but he is talking about pace of the puck and movement as a five-man unit," said the mobile defender. "We can definitely move the puck better and hopefully our transition game will benefit from it. Faster thinking, faster execution, and your team seems faster in that regard." Sep 23 |
| 2 | Zdeno Chara ActiveZdeno Chara scored in Thursday's 2-1 loss to Team Canada. Team Europe played a solid game and were the better team tonight, but they fell just short. Europe led 1-0 late in the third period before Canada scored two goals (Bergeron and Marchand) in the final three minutes of regulation. It's a disappointing end for Team Europe, but no one expected them to make it to the final before the tournament began. Sep 29 |
| 3 | Adam McQuaid ActiveAdam McQuaid got to relax this off-season, as he finally didn't have to go through a summer of rehab. "This is the first [summer] I didn't have a surgery in the last three years, so this is a good start," he said. "Not being behind the 8-ball is good. There's probably going to be a lot of talk about the D-corps and uncertainty in different areas, but I'm looking forward to coming in, having a good training camp and having a really good season." Injuries have been an issue for him and he appeared in 64 games last year. McQuaid is a good source of hits, blocks and penalty minutes when he is in the lineup. Aug 9 |
| 4 | John-Michael Liles ActiveJohn-Michael Liles is thrilled that he'll be back in Boston next season. Liles re-signed with the Bruins after the start of free agency and admitted he wanted to return all along. "I’m not going to tell you it was a really long list of teams, but there were some other teams and some comparable offers," said Liles. "I just really enjoyed playing here for those 17 games and just really enjoyed playing in this city. I thought the fans were fantastic, I thought the group in the room was great. . . . My family absolutely loved being here in the city, so that was a big part of it." The Bruins acquired Liles from Carolina and he proved to be a decent fit on their blue line at the end of last season. He'll likely put up close to 20 points in 2016-17. Sep 10 |
| 5 | Kevan Miller ActiveBoston Bruins coach Claude Julien and GM Don Sweeney both feel that Kevan Miller has some upside left. The Boston Bruins inked Miller to a four-year, $10 million contract extension on Tuesday. He'll turn 29 in November, so we're skeptical of the idea that he'll develop any further. In fact, we're more concerned about him regressing towards the end of this deal. Miller was never drafted and took the long path to the NHL, only earning a permanent spot with the Bruins last season. He's someone that has been rewarded for his hard work and determination. "We’re talking about character players and he’s certainly one of those character players who in my mind could become a leader," Julien said. May 25 |
| 6 | Joe Morrow ActiveJoe Morrow is hopeful that he will play on a more consistent basis in 2016-17. He was limited to 33 appearances last season and sat frequently as a healthy scratch. "This year I look forward to stepping up into a more consistent role, and that pretty much isn't up to anybody but me. I look forward to it," he said. "It's always to have a little more pressure on you. You tend to play a little better, at least from my perspective in the past playing junior in playoff situations. I've always kind of stepped my game up, so I kind of view it as [that situation]. I aim to not disappointment anyone. I'm looking forward to that." Morrow and Colin Miller are expected to get plenty of opportunities to establish themselves as regulars in the lineup. Sep 19 |
| 7 | Colin Miller ActiveColin Miller is expected to get a shot at a permanent roster spot on Boston's back end in 2016-17. He skated in 42 games with the big club last season, but there is an opening on the blueline this year following Dennis Seidenberg's buyout. Miller had three goals and 16 points at the NHL level in 2015-16. Sep 22 |
| G | 1 | Tuukka Rask ActiveTuukka Rask seems intent on putting a mediocre 2015-16 season behind him. Rask's 2.56 goals against average and .915 save percentage posted last season were well below his career norms. The Finnish goalie spoke to the Boston media after returning from the World Cup of Hockey tournament and looks to have plenty of motivation to rebound. "There were a couple of years where the standards pretty high, so obviously when they go down there’s something to rebound from", said Rask. "You kind of know where you can be. That’s where I try to be every year and I’m working on being there this year, and taking us to the playoffs and moving forward. But every year is a new year where you’ve got to work hard, and set your goals to be at your best. More often than not you hope [being at your best] is going to happen, and I hope this year is going to be a great year for us." We like Rask's chances of returning to the elite goalie ranks in 2016-17. Sep 25 |
| 2 | Anton Khudobin ActiveAnton Khudobin and the Bruins are very happy that the veteran backup netminder is back in Boston. Khudobin teamed with Tuukka Rask in the 2012-13 season and the pair were very successful with Khudobin posting a 9-4-1 record with a 2.32 goals against average and .920 save percentage over 14 games. The signing of Khudobin was deemed necessary as goalie of the future Malcolm Subban is recovering from a fractured larynx. We expect Khudobin to be a solid understudy for Rask, while playing in about 15-20 games. Jul 2 |