The Boston Bruins experienced a significant roster upheaval during the previous summer, which was primarily caused by the exits of centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. Don Sweeney, the general manager (GM), never completely filled their position through trades or free agency, preferring to use internal possibilities Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha.
Jim Montgomery, the second-year head coach, has filled the other two spots up the middle with rookies Matthew Poitras and John Beecher thanks to that well-executed move. Just over 25% of the 2023–24 regular season has gone by, and Sweeney added some forward-depth components. The Black and Gold are already seeing some value for their money. These three forwards, who are free agents, are contributing significantly to Boston thus far.
Van Riemsdyk James
James van Riemsdyk, who was signed to a one-year, $1 million contract over the summer, has established himself as a mainstay in the Bruins’ lineup. The 34-year-old has played extensively alongside Trent Frederic and Coyle, but injuries have forced Montgomery to rearrange the pieces. Nevertheless, the three plays exceptionally well together.
With five goals and twelve assists in 26 games, the former Philadelphia Flyers forward is on track to surpass his career-high of 33 assists with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016–17 if he stays healthy. As the net-front player on the first power play unit early in the season, van Riemsdyk was generating and doing a good job of tipping and deflecting shots. Is he going to top the twelve goals he scored with the Flyers the previous season? The Bruins would benefit greatly if he keeps up his current level of play from earlier in the season.
Heinen Danton
Danton Heinen’s second season in Boston got off to an unusual start. He missed the first nine games of training camp after arriving on a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) and missing a number of games in October while things worked out with Poitras (from “Bruins back bring forward Danton Heinen on PTO deal,” Boston Globe, Sept. 5, 2023). Heinen was eventually signed, and he has since developed into a useful player for Montgomery.
Heinen will not wow you with his skill, but he has four goals and six assists in 19 games since settling into a solid role with the Bruins. To put it mildly, he has achieved a few goals at the appropriate times. On November 30, he received a feed from Poitras and scored beneath the crossbar in the second period of a scoreless game at home against the San Jose Sharks, leading Boston to a 3-0 victory.
When the visitors scored two goals less than a minute apart to trim the margin to one on December 9 at the TD Garden against the Arizona Coyotes, the Bruins were leading 3-0 in the second period. The Black and Gold took back control of the game midway through the half when Heinen entered the Coyotes’ zone and beat Connor Ingram with a precisely timed shot under the crossbar. After the two goals, Arizona had gained the upper hand against the Bruins and appeared poised to tie the score, but Heinen put things back in order and gave the team a two-goal advantage.
Heinen has entered and performed in the capacity that Boston has needed him to, and it is paying off. He won’t be able to replace Tyler Bertuzzi, who inked a contract with Toronto for $5.25 million over the course of an 82-game regular season. Though the season is still early, he does lead Bertuzzi by one point so far this year.
Morgan Geekie
Morgan Geekie became a free agent after the Seattle Kraken failed to extend a qualifying offer to him. The Bruins quickly signed him to a two-year contract. He has been an asset to the Bruins lineup, playing on the wing and, in an emergency, moving into the middle, as he did on December 13 against the New Jersey Devils.
He has three goals and eight points on 31 shots while averaging 14:22 per game in 21 games. In the first period of the Boston 2-1 overtime loss, he scored the game’s opening goal against the Devils after winning a board fight and capping off a relentless shift in front of goal. He has been an underappreciated acquisition with his grueling shifts in most circumstances, even though his stats won’t show it.
The Bruins have also benefited with the acquisition of Poitras and Beecher up front, while Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed a one-year contract, has been playing well lately, filling in for Charlie McAvoy and leading the first power play unit. Against Arizona, he was rewarded with a power play goal. Some of the Bruins’ free-agency acquisitions, who are playing on extremely team-friendly contracts this season, will need to put in these kinds of efforts every night.
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