The Boston Bruins had another successful campaign last season. They finished among the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, making it to the second round of the playoffs. Despite the disappointing exit, Bruins fans have plenty to look forward to this upcoming season.
Nevertheless, three players stand out as candidates for a regression in spite of last season’s outstanding performances. So, let’s take a look at the three Boston Bruins due for a dip next season.
3 Boston Bruins who might see a performance dip next season
#3: David Pastrnak
Pastrnak is among the league’s best goal scorers. He’s a consistent producer, showing off his elite skills while playing with a mean streak.
Last season’s 110 points were an impressive total. Nevertheless, there’s no telling if Pastrnak can repeat that performance this upcoming season.
While Pastrnak should continue being among the league’s best forwards, it’s likely his point totals may fall back down to Earth. There’s a chance he could eclipse the 100-point mark once again. But that depends significantly on his linemates’ support.
#2: Charlie Coyle
Coyle had his best season last year, scoring 25 goals and producing 60 points. The point totals were mainly the result of playing with Pastrnak and captain Brad Marchand for a fair chunk of the season. However, the arrival of Elias Lindholm should push Coyle down to a second or third-line role.
If that’s the case, Coyle’s numbers could dip as he would lack the support of elite-level linemates. While Coyle could still produce solid numbers from anywhere in the lineup, Boston Bruins fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Coyle’s numbers regress next season.
The hope is that Coyle can maintain a similar production level despite a different role in the Boston Bruins’ lineup. It remains to be seen what the club has in mind for Coyle moving forward.
#1: Jeremy Swayman
Swayman had a tremendous season last year. In 44 games, he registered 25 wins, a 2.53 GAA and a .916 SV%. Those numbers were encouraging enough to motivate the Boston Bruins to move Linus Ullmark and anoint Swayman as the starter.
However, Swayman has never handled the workload typical of a number-one goaltender. If Swayman is asked to start between 50 to 60 games, the Bruins may see a dip in his overall numbers due to the increased workload.
Thus, the Bruins will need to carefully monitor Swayman’s workload to ensure there are no signs of fatigue, particularly as the playoffs approach. They'll rely on newly acquired Joonas Korpisalo significantly to give Swayman a chance to recover when needed.
