2022-23 Boston Bruins Season Preview

The Boston Bruins lost in a Game 7 to Carolina in the opening-round of the playoffs on May 14. The team won 51 games last season under former coach Bruce Cassidy. Jim Montgomery takes over the reins. The puck drops at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Washington. It will be broadcast on TNT. Boston is looking for signs that it could have won the Stanley Cup. They are looking forward to the new season. There are expectations that they will compete. This is the first time in NHL history that the Eastern Conference has been dominated by a 22-team middle class.

Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have been playing hockey for 33 years. They are in their twilight years and they are impressed with the current generation of players. The team president Cam Neely wants his players to compete every night. The Bruins have a lot of young talent. Injuries could keep Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand out of the opening-night lineup. Neeley wants them to play every game like it's their last. He thinks the team is deep from a skill perspective. It's about competing every day.   “You may not play well every time, but you can sure as hell compete.”

Bruce Cassidy will replace Claude Julien as the coach of the Boston Bruins. Cassidy got the Bruins to a Game 7 for the Stanley Cup, but his team was too young and injured to win it.

Don Sweeney has been trying to get a pure power forward for the last few years. He got Nick Foligno, who was put on waivers.

Dougie Hamilton will start for New Jersey against Boston in Saturday's preseason finale at TD Garden.

Mike Reilly was overpaid ($3M per) in his current role.

Chris Wagner played preseason games with Nick Foligno.

David Krejci is back from a sabbatical year playing pro hockey in his native Czech Republic. He will play with David Pastrnak this time around.

Jim Montgomery won multiple NCAA titles with U. of Maine and Denver. He played for Paul Kariya and Bruce Cassidy.

Pavel Zacha is a young center with a top-line upside. AJ Greer won the favor of the coaching staff with his coachability and immediate response to what the new staff is looking for in the way of a strong forecheck.

Anton Stralman is 36 and has about as much hockey left as Krejci. Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk are coming back from injury.

Brad Marchand had double-labrum surgery and McAvoy and Grzelcyk had shoulder surgeries.

Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are no longer the ideal backup goalkeepers for Boston Bruins.

The NHL will copy the pace of play of Colorado after they won the Stanley Cup.

Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch during the winter. He requested a trade, but the request was rejected. The 2015 draft has brought two more 2015 picks in Pavel Zacha and A.J. Greer.

The Washington Capitals hired Scotty Allen as an assistant coach. Peter Laviolette is from Franklin.