Complete Preview and Predictions for the Boston Bruins in 2016-17

The Boston Bruins narrowly missed the playoffs in 2015-16—they were technically tied for No. 8 in the Eastern Conference—but it was also clear the Stanley Cup team of 2011 was eroding and many of the youthful replacements were found wanting.

Boston's goal differential last season was +10, with the team scoring 240 and allowing 230 goals overall. Both numbers represented a spike from 2014-15—the Bruins were 213-211 that season—and the goal this year will be to keep the offensive improvement and cut down on the goals against.

Stanley Cup champions in 2011, Presidents' Trophy winners in 2014, Boston has posted some impressive seasons in this decade.

General manager Don Sweeney was busy through the summer and early fall, retaining valuable assets like Torey Krug and Brad Marchand while also buying out veteran defender Dennis Seidenberg and losing veteran winger Loui Eriksson. The big addition via free agency is David Backes, who should fit the Bruins' style well.

Here's where the Bruins stand as they head into what they hope is a year that ends with a playoff berth.

Key Roster Changes

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Key Departures

• Loui Eriksson (RW)
• Lee Stempniak (RW)
• Brett Connolly (RW)
• Chris Kelly (LW)
• Landon Ferraro (C)
• Dennis Seidenberg (D)
• Zach Trotman (D)
• Jonas Gustavsson (G)

Key Additions

• David Backes (RW)
• Peter Mueller (RW) (Invite)
• Riley Nash (C)
• Dominic Moore (C)
• John Michael-Liles (D)
• Christian Ehrhoff (D) (Invite)
• Anton Khudobin (G)

The Boston Bruins of the Zdeno Chara era have always been strong up the middle, owing to the giant Slovakian and brilliant two-way centermen Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. As Chara ages, the defense is going to become more of an issue. Management has been drafting defensemen heavily since Don Sweeney took over in time for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

The club bought out Seidenberg while also bringing back John Michael-Liles (a deadline pickup) and made an astute move late in getting Ehrhoff into camp. Combined with youngsters like Colin Miller—a mobile defender—a group of players who can take more of the load from Chara may be emerging.

Goaltending should be fine, the forward group is a veteran crew which will benefit from Backes' rugged play and unforgiving checking, and we could see David Pastrnak blossom into that impact scorer the club needs on right wing. Securing Torey Krug and Brad Marchand to long-term deals offers hope for this season and the future in Boston.

Projected 2016-17 Depth Chart

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Forwards

Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Backes

Ryan Spooner, David Krejci, David Pastrnak

Matt Beleskey, Riley Nash, Jimmy Hayes

Zac Rinaldo, Dominic Moore, Tyler Randell

Defense

Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller

Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid

John Michael-Liles, Colin Miller

Goal

Tuukka Rask

Anton Khudobin

Biggest Storylines to Watch

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Can Zdeno Chara Keep Playing the Big Minutes?

Last season Chara averaged more than 24 minutes a night, something he has been doing most seasons of his career. He was paired most often with Zach Trotman and Kevan Miller—via Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com—as opposed to Dougie Hamilton in 2014-15. It is imperative the Boston Bruins find a substantial partner for Chara, especially because the veteran will turn 40 in March.

Is the Bruins defense fast enough?

Boston has some mobile defenders—Torey Krug, John Michael-Liles, Colin Miller—but also leads the league in slower players. Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid are all below-average NHL skaters at this point in their careers. Boston has plenty coming, and some of the youngsters are getting some longer looks in camp. Joe Morrow—who has seen NHL action—and Matt Grzelcyk are two emerging defensemen getting a longer look according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

Will a Scoring Star Emerge?

Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson all scored 30 or more goals last season, and Boston should be able to count on Marchand and Bergeron to repeat their performances. Veteran addition David Backes should chip in, with David Krejci and Matt Beleskey also helping the cause.

Boston needs some of their younger forwards to emerge as consistent offensive options this season. David Pastrnak is the obvious choice; Bruins fans have been entertained with his potential for two seasons running and a bigger offensive season would be a huge boost. Frank Vatrano's injury sets him back, but he could emerge as an effective scorer later in the year.

Best- and Worse-Case Scenarios

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Best-Case Scenario

The Boston Bruins have fallen off from the team's peak earlier this decade, but there is a large group of players from those teams who can still contribute.

One of the key areas is in goal, where Tuukka Rask will carry the big part of the load and be capably backed up by Anton Khudobin. Rask has been going the wrong way in recent seasons, with save percentages of .930, .922 and most recently .915. If he can get back to .920, Boston's chances of making the playoffs increase markedly.

The defense has the brilliant Zdeno Chara, but he needs help and that means real improvement from the younger group of defensemen. Torey Krug and John-Michael Liles can be counted on as veterans, and invite Christian Ehrhoff could be a substantial addition.

Up front, the strength of the Boston lineup will be on display and big seasons from veterans Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and newcomer David Backes are a given. If the club can get a surprise offensive contributor—like David Pastrnak—to post something in the 30-goal range, this team should be able to finish inside the playoffs.

Worst-Case Scenario

Injuries are always a concern, and if either Chara or Krug gets banged up the Boston defense could be an adventure. The Bruins—like every NHL team—have been looking for defensive help and Ehrhoff could be a big addition this winter.

Rask could continue to fade,; he has been less effective in consecutive seasons and that is a concern, but the truth is the heart of this team—Marchand, Bergeron, Krejci, Rask—should have several good seasons before their productivity erodes.

It really comes down to Chara's health and ability to play 23-25 minutes a night effectively. It sounds ridiculous to contemplate—and Boston needs to get after a replacement—but the man continues to deliver, albeit with less impact last season when his partners were not of their usual calibre.

Final Prediction

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The Boston Bruins main cluster—the group that includes Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Krejci—is a substantial group and gives the organization a massive advantage. Adding David Backes—who can play center or wing—gives the team the option of icing three lines with the potential to score goals. You may recall the Pittsburgh Penguins using that template to great effect last spring, with Phil Kessel getting outstanding looks against teams who could not counter with the same kind of quality and depth.

There are risks in picking the Bruins to return to the playoffs. Tuukka Rask has not been the same player over the last three seasons—coinciding with Zdeno Chara's slow slide—but he is young enough to recover. Boston badly needs a more mobile defense, but astute moves late in the offseason—Christian Ehrhoff agreeing to come to camp—could give the club enough depth to survive the year.

If the team can get some help from its youth—David Pastrnak scoring 25 or more goals, Frank Vatrano flourishing after he returns from injury, Danton Heinen exploding onto the NHL scene—the offense might be good enough to outscore the mistakes.

It is a tremendous gift to have three centers the quality of Bergeron, Krejci and Backes. The Boston Bruins won't push the two Florida teams during the regular season, but will best the rest, land in third place in the Atlantic Division, and even win a playoff round in a productive 2016-17 season.