As we inch closer to August, it is hard not to think about the start of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. In two months, the Boston Bruins will begin playing preseason games and the regular season will soon follow. Although the Bruins’ historic 2022-23 season ended in a truly disastrous fashion, it is time to move forward. Due to this, let’s discuss five things that Bruins fans should be excited about for the 2023-24 season.
Milan “Looch” Lucic’s Return to Bruins
During the first half of his NHL career, Milan Lucic was a star for the Bruins because of his excellent offensive contributions and immensely physical style of play. He was missed by many following his departure, but now after eight years, Lucic is back in Beantown. Naturally, there is going to be a ton of excitement about his return, especially during the Bruins’ first game of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Although Lucic is no longer the dominant top-six power forward he was during his prime years, his toughness and leadership will be key components of the Bruins’ roster in 2023-24. Furthermore, it will be excellent to see him back with the team that he will forever be remembered playing for the most.
Another Year of the Ullmark/Swayman Tandem
For much of this offseason, Linus Ullmark was discussed heavily in the rumor mill. However, general manager (GM) Don Sweeney stated to reporters earlier this month that he is excited to move forward with the Ullmark/Jeremy Swayman tandem. Thus, it seems that far more likely than not that we will continue to see the goalie hugs for the 2023-24 season, and that’s not a bad thing.
Ullmark and Swayman will now be looking to build off of their excellent seasons from here. Ullmark, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, sported a 40-6-1 record, 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), and .938 save percentage (SV%). Swayman, on the other hand, had a 24-6-4 record, 2.27 GAA, and .920 SV% in 37 games. Their spectacular combined play during the regular season led to them winning the William M. Jennings Trophy. Let’s see if they can replicate this kind of regular-season dominance in 2023-24.
James van Riemsdyk’s Arrival
As a way to try to stop the bleeding from all of their free-agent departures, the Bruins signed veteran winger James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. On paper, this looks like a classic low-risk, high-reward kind of deal. van Riemsdyk likely could have landed more money elsewhere, but he chose to come to Boston, and it will be intriguing to see how much of an impact he will make.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Star Trade Targets, DeBrusk & Bergeron
van Riemsdyk is coming off of a bit of a quiet season for his standards, posting 12 goals and 29 points in 61 games played. Although those numbers are not necessarily bad, he has shown throughout his career that he is capable of doing much more. Yet, he also was playing for a very weak Philadelphia Flyers team, so perhaps having stronger offensive weapons to work with on the Bruins could lead to his production going up. This is especially so when noting that he is expected to get top-six minutes and power-play time.
Pastrnak’s Encore After Career-Best Season
David Pastrnak was the Bruins’ best skater by a country mile this past season. The 27-year-old had one of the best regular seasons in team history, posting new career highs in goals (61), assists (52), and points (113). It was a year to remember for the 2014 first-round pick, and now it is going to be a lot of fun to see what he does for an encore in 2023-24.
With Patrice Bergeron retiring and several other key forwards also gone, Pastrnak’s importance to the club is even higher. The Bruins not only need Pastrnak to continue his outstanding offensive production in 2023-24 but also take on a bigger leadership role, which Sweeney has mentioned. As a result, this upcoming season is a huge one for Pastrnak as he enters the first year of his eight-year, $90 million contract.
The Bruins’ Centennial Season & Era Nights
Perhaps the biggest reason why fans should be excited about the 2023-24 campaign is that it is the Bruins’ 100th season in franchise history. Yes, the Original Six club is now a century old, and there will be plenty of celebrations during their historic campaign because of it.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Bergeron Retires, Krejci & More
The Bruins have announced that there will be six “Era Nights” throughout the season, and they will “celebrate various players and teams from iconic eras in Bruins history, and will include a pregame ceremony, guest appearances, special promotions, and more.” The dates of the “Era Nights” are as followed:
- Oct. 28 vs. Detroit Red Wings
- Nov. 18 vs. Montreal Canadiens
- Dec. 16 vs. New York Rangers
- Jan. 20 vs. Montreal Canadiens
- March 7 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Alas, although the Bruins’ roster is quite different than their 65-win group, their fans still have things to look forward to for the 2023-24 campaign. We will need to wait and see how the Bruins perform during their Centennial season from here.