Bruins training camp: Top candidates for second-line right wing spot originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The No. 1 roster battle in Boston Bruins training camp likely will be the second-line right wing spot alongside left wing Brad Marchand and center Charlie Coyle.
After losing wingers Jake van Riemsdyk, Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk to free agency over the offseason, the Bruins are a little thin on the wing, especially the right side. Van Riemsdyk, Heinen and DeBrusk weren’t the most consistent offensive producers a year ago, but they did score 11 goals, 17 goals, and 19 goals, respectively. That’s just under 18 percent of the Bruins’ 264 goals scored in the 2023-24 regular season.
The Bruins chose to make their big-ticket forward acquisition Elias Lindholm. The top-six center signed a seven-year, $54.25 million contract on Day 1 of free agency. It was a great move for the Bruins, but it also meant the team would likely have to fill the second-line right wing spot from within.
DeBrusk played with Coyle and Marchand more than any other winger last season. He logged 306 minutes at 5-on-5 with that veteran tandem, per Natural Stat Trick, and the B’s outscored opponents 13-7 during those minutes. Even though DeBrusk was susceptible to going long stretches of games without scoring a goal, he was strong enough defensively to play with Marchand and Coyle, who often face the opponent’s top-six forwards every shift.
While the Bruins want someone who can contribute offensively in this second-line right wing spot, it’s also important that this player can handle the defensive responsibilities of the role. These aren’t easy minutes, to say the least.
Here are the best options for the Bruins at second-line right wing (in no particular order).
It’s time for the Bruins to see what they have in Lysell. He was the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He is the most offensively skilled player in Boston’s prospect pool. He has an excellent shot, he’s a talented playmaker, he plays with speed and he’s dangerous on the power play.
What does head coach Jim Montgomery want to see from Lysell in camp?
“I just want to see him immerse himself in one-on-one battles, coming up with loose pucks,” Montgomery told reporters last week. “He is a gifted offensive player, and for gifted offensive players to have success, they need the puck on their stick, and that’s why I say he needs to win more one-on-one battles — not more, but that’s got to be a focus, being really intent on getting the puck on your stick so you can do the things you do well.”
Sure, the defensive part of his game needs work, but that’s pretty common for a skilled 21-year-old forward with zero NHL experience. For Lysell to thrive, he needs to be playing with other gifted offensive players, preferably in a top-six role. He’s not the kind of player you put on the fourth line just to get him experience.
The Bruins should give Lysell an extended look at the NHL level and see how he responds. If we get to early or mid-December and he’s struggling to score and making mistakes defensively, then maybe it’s time to assess whether he’s a fit. Giving him a real opportunity is not going to sink the Bruins’ season if it doesn’t go well. So why not see what you have in this player? The Bruins desperately need someone with his scoring ability and speed at right wing.
Lysell making the roster also would be great for the Bruins’ salary cap situation. He still has this season and next season on his entry-level contract, which carries a tiny $863,333 cap hit.
Geekie is a natural center, but he did play some wing last season. And with the Bruins adding Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic over the offseason, the most likely role for Geekie is probably somewhere on the wing.
Geekie definitely has the toughness and defensive acumen to play with Coyle and Marchand. He’s a hard-nosed player who can be trusted to play hard minutes against the opponent’s top-six forwards. Geekie scored a career-high 17 goals last season and played a bunch with Coyle. He’s probably one of the top candidates for this spot going into camp.
Poitras is best suited at center, where he played during most of his rookie campaign until a shoulder injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season after just 33 games. But the Bruins have a lot of centers on their roster, and some of them might have to play on the wing at different points this season.
Poitras’ offensive skill set was impressive as a rookie. He’s a strong playmaker and has the ability to score goals in a variety of ways. Tallying 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 33 games as a 19-year-old is pretty good.
Poitras is one of the most interesting players at Bruins camp. Where does he fit? Who does he play with? Can he build on the momentum of surprisingly making the Opening Night roster last season? The Bruins need to make sure Poitras is put in the best position to succeed because he is very important to the team’s future.
What are Montgomery’s expectations for Poitras entering camp?
“Well, first, let’s see how he’s doing getting acclimated again,” Montgomery told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. “You know, we’re going to give him some runway here to get acclimated to practicing at the pace that we do, competing, second and third effort. You know, all those things he’s going to have to go through to get the rustiness off at the beginning.
“So expect to see him in a fair amount of exhibition games. And you know, we’re going to use him on right wing, we’re going to use him at center. Where is he going to best be able to help and make him most comfortable and give him the best opportunity to shine.”
Frederic is a natural center but has mostly played on the wing in Boston due to the team’s impressive depth down the middle throughout his career.
Frederic has benefitted a lot from playing under Montgomery. The 26-year-old forward set career highs with 17 goals and 14 assists during Montgomery’s first season in 2022-23, and then he set new personal bests last year with 18 goals and 22 assists.
Frederic has played 912:35 of ice time with Coyle over the last two seasons, with the bulk of that coming in the 2022-23 campaign when they were often together on the third line. So there’s already a good chemistry and familiarity between them.
Frederic might not have the offensive skill set of a Poitras or Lysell, but he does bring the kind of physicality that Marchand and Coyle exhibit in defensive situations. And in fairness to Frederic, he has come a long way as a scorer since making his debut in 2018-19. He probably still has another level or two to reach offensively, and playing a top-six role with two talented veterans could help unlock that potential.
“Trent Frederic has become a very valuable member, and I thought his playoffs were excellent last year,” Montgomery said Wednesday. “I thought he took… his growth in the playoffs, he kind of did the same thing he did in the regular season. He was very important to our team. I think one year he had 17, last year he had 18 goals, or it might be vice versa. Nonetheless, he started to penalty kill more last year. We need him to continue to develop that… whether he plays center, right wing or left… you’re going to see him at center during camp.
“That’s going to happen because he was so good down low in the playoffs last year defensively, he’s a big body that can handle a lot of minutes because he’s in great shape, he’s incredibly fit. So you know, we’re going to move him around to see where he’s going to help the Bruins the most. We know he’s going to help us on the wing and at center, it’s just what gels together with his linemen.”
Merkulov has led the Providence Bruins in scoring each of the last two seasons. He went scoreless in a brief four-game callup to the NHL last season.
The former Ohio State forward has almost exclusively played center in the AHL, and as a left shot, it might be unfair to ask him to play right wing, especially in a top-six role. He has the offensive talent needed to be a viable player at the NHL level, which is why I’ve included him on this list, but playing right wing isn’t the best positional fit for the 23-year-old.
Tyler Johnson
The Bruins signed Johnson to a PTO (professional tryout agreement) deal for camp. The two-time Stanley Cup champion spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. He tallied 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 67 games last year. A lot of that production came on the power play.
Johnson at second-line right wing isn’t the most ideal scenario for the Bruins, but he’ll probably be in the mix because he’s capable of playing center or wing.
What is Sweeney hoping the Bruins get from Johnson?
“Versatility, experience, winning pedigree, production, skating component is still there,” Sweeney told reporters “Wednesday. So we identified early on, and wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to Tyler and his representatives in the fact that we weren’t in a position to offer a contract, but we would be excited to have him as part of our group, and he just felt that the opportunity was there in a bona fide manner, and how it’s presented, and we’re excited to help.”
