Five questions facing the Boston Bruins as preseason approaches

The Boston Bruins are going to play in the NHL season. They have been consistent in their success, but they have a chance of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Bruce Cassidy was fired over the summer. Former starting goaltender Tuukka Rask retired midseason last year. Skaters Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Matt Grzelcyk are injured.

The Bruins are starting the season without three key players. Marchand, McAvoy and Grzelcyk are injured. The team will have to find a replacement for them. Pavel Zacha is the most likely replacement. Hampus Lindholm will likely shoulder the defensive shifts. Jakub Zboril, Connor Clifton, Brandon Carlo, and Mike Reilly will take over Grzyccyks' duties.

David Krejci left the Bruins at the end of the 2021 season to play in Czechia. He played for HC Olomouc in the Czech Extraliga. KreJci re-signed with the Boston Bruins this summer. He will be asked to handle second-line center responsibilities and facilitate playmaking between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak.

The Bruins' prospect pool was recently ranked dead last in the NHL by The Athletic. Last season, there were seven players under 24 years old who played games for the team. Only two of them were regular contributors. Oskar Steen had occasional stretches of good play, but couldn't grab a spot in a bottom six. Jack Studnicka has been a frustrating player for years. Marc McLaughlin was signed out of Boston College. Fabian Lysell, the Bruins’ 2021 first-round pick, played major junior hockey last season.

Will Pavel Zacha be more productive than he was in New Jersey?

Erik Haula was traded to Boston Bruins for Lukas Zacha. Zacho is a former top-10 draft pick. He has a $3.5 million cap hit compared to Hila's $2.4 million. The Bruins hope he can play on any line. He will probably start with Bergeron and play second or third line with Marchand.

Jim Montgomery was hired as the new head coach of the Boston Bruins. He replaces Cassidy, who was fired after last season's first-round playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bruins are betting on Montgomery to develop their young players. The team has traded away high draft picks and top prospects in the past. It's not clear if the front office is to blame for the lack of development of young talent.