5 Reasons Tyler Seguin and the Boston Bruins Will Be Better in 2012 Than 2011

The Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years last season, and they certainly have the ability to repeat as champions next year.

The Bruins are loaded with depth at every position, and nearly all of their star players are under the age of 30. Only captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara, fellow defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and goaltender Tim Thomas are stars above 30 years old.

With the best goaltending in the NHL, three fabulous offensive lines, a solid defense and one of the best penalty-killing units in the league, the Bruins are fully prepared to dominate hockey again in 2012.

Let's look at 10 reasons why the Bruins will be better in 2012 than they were in their Cup-winning season of a year ago, starting with the development of Tyler Seguin.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report, and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for Bruins news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35

Tyler Seguin Will Develop into a Top Forward

Tyler Seguin was the second overall choice in the 2010 NHL entry draft, and is the future of the Boston Bruins.

Seguin struggled to get playing time throughout stretches of last season, due to head coach Claude Julien's defense-first approach and his reluctance to give rookies more ice time than established veterans.

He scored 11 goals and dished out 11 assists last season, and in his first two career playoff games during the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he scored three goals and had three assists.

Seguin will definitely get more ice time next season as the Bruins need to replace Mark Recchi's spot on the second line due to his retirement, and the front office will surely want to see Seguin take significant strides in 2012.

Tyler Seguin is the most skilled forward the Bruins have, and one of the fastest skaters in the entire NHL. He will continue to get better, and thus the Bruins offense will become even deadlier next year.

Brad Marchand Has Huge Potential

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand quickly became a fan favorite last season for his aggressive and pest-like play, but there is much more to his game than that.

After scoring 21 goals and dishing out 20 assists in the 2011 regular season, Marchand set a Bruins rookie record for most goals in a single playoffs with 11, and was second all-time in playoff goals for a rookie in league history behind Jeremy Roenick.

Marchand scored in four Stanley Cup Finals games, and the Bruins won all of them. He also scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

Marchand became a top-six forward in his first full NHL season, and there is no reason he can't score 30 goals next season.

His physical style of play suits the Bruins perfectly, and his energetic, never-quit attitude gives him the desire to win every battle versus any opponent.

Marchand is just one of the young Bruins players who have a bright future ahead of them.

The Bruins Have Multiple Shutdown Defensemen

The Bruins' top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg is the best shutdown tandem in the NHL.

Chara's 6'9" frame and physical style of play is so difficult for opponents to handle, and his extremely long reach with his stick is frustrating for speedy forwards.

His partner Dennis Seidenberg has quickly become one of the NHL's most underrated players. Seidenberg almost quit hockey for tennis a few years ago, but he has found a home and a comfortable role in Boston.

Young defenseman Adam McQuaid has rapidly improved in his short time with the Bruins, and just signed a new contract extension.

McQuaid is a physical player who has good puck skills and is one of the guys players least want to fight, and in the words of NBC's Pierre McGuire, "McQuaid is one tough hombre."

The Bruins have depth on defense, and multiple guys who will fight you, shut you down and keep you from scoring on Tim Thomas.

The Bruins Have the Best Goaltender in the NHL, and an Excellent Backup

Tim Thomas is the best goaltender in the NHL, and won the Vezina Trophy as the most outstanding goalie during the 2011 season. It was the second time Thomas won the award; he won it in 2009 as well.

Thomas also was the Conn Smythe Award winner as the MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.

His incredible season was the primary reason the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, and after a full year of great play following hip surgery, Thomas does not have to worry about injuries or ice time heading into next season.

If Thomas were to go down, however, the Bruins have a more than capable backup in young Tuukka Rask.

Rask was tremendous in the 2010 season when Thomas was hampered by injuries, and led the Bruins to the conference semifinals.

Boston has two outstanding goaltenders on their roster, which is a great advantage because Thomas can get all the rest he needs and the Bruins don't have to worry about the team playing poorly in his absence with Rask in net.

Check this out: Watch Tim Thomas' 10 best moments of 2011.

Many of the Bruins' Best Players Are Under the Age of 30

The Boston Bruins have many of their best players under contract for years to come, and a great number of them are under the age of 30.

With this kind of youth, combined with three years of good postseason experience, the Bruins have a fantastic roster for the future, and will be Stanley Cup contenders for at least another five to seven seasons.

Here are the notable players under the age of 30.

Forwards

Tyler Seguin, 19             

Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand, 23

David Krejci, 25

Patrice Bergeron and Nathan Horton, 26

Defenseman

Steven Kampfer, 22

Adam McQuaid, 24

Johnny Boychuk, 27

Goaltender

Tuukka Rask, 24