Entering the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins pretty much know what their top six is going to look like. There is going to be plenty of mixing and matching depending on the opponent, matchups, and injuries. There are still two preseason games remaining and there is a lot to sort out with their bottom six.
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Figuring out the final roster for Opening Night on Oct. 11 against the Chicago Blackhawks is not going to be easy for coach Jim Montgomery, especially figuring out his bottom six. There are many different ways he could go and let’s take a look at the options he has and who will emerge as likely bottom six forwards after Alex Chaisson was released from his professional tryout contract (PTO) Sunday (Oct. 1).
Montgomery Has Multiple Options for Bottom-Six
The third line has a good chance that Morgan Geekie centers it and Trent Frederic will be on one wing, most likely the right where he has spent the last couple of seasons playing on his off-wing. Danton Heinen has had a good preseason on a PTO and he is just two years removed from an 18-goal 2021-22 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Milan Lucic will handle the left wing on the fourth line, it’s a given. General manager (GM) Don Sweeney brought the former fan-favorite back on a one-year contract and he brings something the Bruins lacked last season despite their record-breaking season, a tough presence in the lineup. After that, this is where things get interesting in terms of decisions.
Who will center the fourth line? That’s a very intriguing question. Patrick Brown was signed to a two-year contract over the summer with an average annual value (AAV) of $800,000. He has not had the best preseason and an injury in the first game on Sept. 24 against the New York Rangers set him back before he returned last night against the Philadelphia Flyers. The wild card here is Matthew Poitras who has had a very good camp and the case could be made with him making the roster. The problem is, would he benefit from playing fourth-line minutes in the NHL or returning to the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and getting top minutes on a nightly basis to continue his development?
When it comes to the right wing, there are more interesting options. Jesper Boqvist, Jakub Lauko, and A.J. Greer, and one of these three are likely going to get the spot. Lauko and Greer are both limited offensively, but they bring energy and grit to the fourth line. Boqvist is a speedy forward who has shown flashes with the New Jersey Devils, but never found consistency.
Montgomery Has Some Interesting Decisions
Like in the top six, there is plenty of mixing and matching that can be done with the bottom six. Heinen is someone who is well known to Montgomery as he played for him for two seasons at the University of Denver and he has the most offensive upside as the other wings. The Bruins saw firsthand before he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks what he could do and he spoke about that following a 4-3 shootout loss to the Flyers on Sept. 29 where he scored a goal.
“I think you try to grow every year. It sounds cliche, but you try to improve your all-around game. I think shooting more is something I’ve tried to do over the past few years. As you saw tonight, it doesn’t always have to be perfect, just get it on net. Try to evolve your game as you go and work as hard as you can.”
Poitras has limited options for this season as he is not eligible for the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Providence Bruins. Boston’s two options for him are in the NHL or OHL. He can play in nine games in the NHL before being sent back to the OHL and right now, he is making the case to get those opportunities. Whether or not the Bruins go that route remains to be seen.
In the end, the best bottom six for the Bruins breaking camp is a third line of Heinen, Geekie, and Frederic and a fourth line of Lucic, Brown, and Lauko. It was tough leaving Poitras out and the Montgomery might find that out to very shortly.
