These 5 players need to step up for Bruins to contend for 2021 Stanley Cup
The Boston Bruins enter the 2020-21 NHL season as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but are they a legit Stanley Cup contender?The betting odds suggest the B's are a real contender, but after an offseason that saw the blue line ravaged by departures, a case could be made that Boston still has work to do before reaching that level.However you rank the Bruins, there's no debate that several of their players must step up and take their game to a higher level for the team to make a deep 2021 playoff run.Here's a look at the five players under the most pressure to improve this season (excluding the obvious: goaltending).
The Bruins need better scoring depth to advance deep into the playoffs. They didn't have enough scoring outside of the top line in each of the last three playoff runs, and it cost the team a title in 2019 (among other reasons).
DeBrusk is the player best positioned to take a step forward. He was inconsistent last season with five goals in his last 27 games, including the playoffs. He's averaged 20.6 goals over his first three NHL seasons, and getting to the 30-goal mark for the first time would be a massive lift to Boston's offense in 2021.
DeBrusk signed a two-year bridge contract in the offseason, so he has plenty of motivation to play great over the next two years and enter 2022 free agency with a chance to cash in.
The Bruins opted to give their younger defensemen a chance to compete for ice time this season instead of bringing back former captain Zdeno Chara.
It wasn't a horrible decision, but there likely will be plenty of growing pains early on as these guys get their first extended taste of the speed and physicality of the NHL game.
Vaakanainen is the player with the most potential. He was a 2017 first-round draft pick with a smart, responsible two-way skill set. He's impressed in training camp so far and is well-positioned to see action on the third pairing.
Filling the role of defenseman Torey Krug will be a group effort, but Grzelcyk likely will shoulder most of the burden. He's the best option to replace Krug on the top power play unit. Like Krug, Grzelcyk is a strong playmaker who skates really well.
Krug and Chara departing in free agency also leaves the left side of Boston's blue line in rough shape, and Grzelcyk is now the team's best left-sided defenseman. He's been playing on the second pairing alongside Brandon Carlo for most of camp so far.
Grzelcyk finally has an opportunity to be a consistent top-four defenseman. The Bruins need him to take advantage or the blue line could be in trouble. If Grzelcyk thrives in this spot, the B's won't be under as much pressure to give up prime assets for a top-four defenseman at the trade deadline.
Studnicka is the Bruins' best prospect and one of very few young forwards in the organization with real top-six potential.
He led the AHL's Providence Bruins in scoring with 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games last season, and he's impressed during limited action in Boston.
Studnicka should get an early look as the right winger on the Bruins' top line next to Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron while David Pastrnak recovers from offseason surgery. The B's will need Studnicka to help the team generate enough offense until Pastrnak gets back. Once Pastrnak returns, Studnicka must provide consistent secondary scoring on the second or third lines.
He's already impressed Marchand.
"I really liked the way (Studnicka) played in the playoffs. He's a very talented kid," Marchand said on a Zoom call earlier this month.
"A great kid off the ice. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do and watching him take that next step. That's what we need. We need young guys to come in and perform and be big parts of this group. He's one of those guys who's going to do it for us."
It's time for Frederic to make a meaningful impact at the NHL level. He was a first-round pick in 2016 and has played in 127 games in the AHL over the last three seasons.
Frederic is unlikely to develop into a top-six forward, but he could definitely round into a valuable bottom-six player. The Bruins need more scoring, energy and physicality in their bottom-six -- preferably from a younger player -- and Frederic has the skill set to fill this role. We know he's capable of dropping the gloves and handling his own, but can he provide crucial scoring depth? We'll soon find out.
He is a better option for third-line left wing than veteran Nick Ritchie, who greatly underwhelmed after being acquired by Boston last February.
The ideal scenario for Frederic is he earns a consistent bottom-six role. If he doesn't, the Bruins might again have to search for a veteran winger on the trade market and give up a draft pick (or two) to acquire him.
