Jessica Belmosto

PHOTO CREDIT: NHLBRUINS INSTAGRAM
TWITTER:jessbelmosto

It was a rather quiet offseason for the Bruins. The quietness had some fans questioning the front office. Everyone became a general manager once free agency started. TavaresWatch was fun but it was short lived. Social media gave us an inside look of what our favorite players were up to. Golfing, fishing, yachting… you know, the usual! We said goodbye at Adam McQuaid just moments before the team left for China. All good things must come to an end but with every end, comes a new beginning. What does the future hold?

The Bruins are coming off a 112 point season. There’s no way you accomplish something like that without chemistry. It was the first full season with Bruce Cassidy. There was an undeniable sense of chemistry between the veterans, rookies, and Bruce. In the past, the Bruins have had coaches who don’t know how to teach the youth. It felt as if it was Cassidy’s specialty. He wasn’t going to limit their potential. For the first time in what seems like forever, there was an actual sense of unity with the Bruins. I expect the same level, if not more, chemistry.

Competition got a little stiffer in the Atlantic this offseason. The Bruins are sandwiched right in between Tampa and Toronto. (geographically and in standings ) Nikita Kucherov signed an eight-year extension in Tampa and Toronto signed Taveres. The Bruins signed John Moore and a few other guys. No big names, nothing to write home about. Health is a major concern for this team. Some of your top guys are coming off of injuries. Will they be able to play a majority of the season. Every single point is going to matter this season. Not that they didn’t matter before, but this isn’t the time to fall.

Everyone keeps saying this one is going to make the team, that one is going to Providence. It’s still the preseason. Nothing is set in stone. A lot of people have been talking about Jakub Lauko. Lauko has been a pleasure to watch. He can skate, he blocks shots, oh yeah… he scores too. He’s fired off enough goals to raise some excitement among fans. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid just yet. Look at things from a rational standpoint. Why not give him some time down in the AHL? There are plenty of guys from last season who can do the same thing. Give the young guys some time to develop. There’s no reason to rush anything. With the third line center job open, there’s room for Sean Kuraly to move up. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson or JFK, has the chance to be employed on the fourth line.

Patrice Bergeron and Torrey Krug are coming off of lower body injuries. They’re just a few that suffered injuries over last season. It’s clear that they’re both proceeding with caution and not rushing to be back at full force. Brandon Carlo’s season ended with an ugly ankle injury. It appears that he’s recovered pretty well. He traveled with the team to China and saw a bit of ice time. Anders Bjork had a quick rookie season. His torn labrum sidelined him. Shoulder surgery sidelined him for six months. He hasn’t appeared in any preseason games. Should we be worried about a delay in his recovery? I wouldn’t be too worried right now. Let these guys take the time they need, and come back at 100%. There’s no need to risk another injury.

Are you shocked it took me this long to mention Tuukka? Yeah, me too. I don’t think Tuukka is as awful as people perceive. However, he doesn’t exactly belong on the pedestal a lot of people put him on. Colin Beswick wrote an in-depth analysis  about Tuukka and his performance. Are we going to have a repeat of last season? Is Tuukka going to struggle so bad that fans question taking the job away from him? I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t predict his performance. I just think that fans need to look at our goalie situation from a different lens.

While I think this team has potential, I don’t know if they’re ready for a real Stanley Cup race. Again, health and age are major factors. There’s a decent amount of youth mixed in with vets who have an idea of what’s going on. The Bruins are not the best team in the league. I hate to shatter the illusion of Chara lifting a cup one more time, but it’s not a reality. While I do expect it to be a great season, I think it’s important to focus on the reality. Cheers to a strong and healthy 2018-2019 season!