2 weeks Ago By The Hockey News
The Boston Bruins are so bad right now that it may help them more than people think.It almost beggars belief that, coming off a 47-20-15 record last season, the Bruins are dead last in the Eastern Conference right now.The Bruins were three points out of a wild-card spot at the NHL trade deadline when they traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau.
They since plummeted to the East’s basement and sit 29th overall with a 30-37-9 mark. They’re also 0-9-1 in their last 10 games after losing to longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on Thursday. It’s undoubtedly painful for Bruins fans to watch.
But the Bruins’ free fall through the standings has a positive element. It means they’ve avoided the mushy middle of the East and can now have a very high draft pick – maybe even the first-overall pick, if they win the draft lottery.Before you know it – perhaps as soon as next season – the Bruins could be right back in the thick of the playoff hunt .
After Boston GM Don Sweeney sold at the trade deadline, Boston is committed to about $66.7 million in salary cap space next season. With the cap ceiling slated to rise to $95.
5 million, that leaves the Bruins with about $29 million in cap space, which gives them leeway to spruce things up in the off-season. They do have six RFAs to take care of and five UFAs, but if they want to make changes and go big in free agency, they can.But if the draft goes in their favor, Boston would have a draft pick in the top half of the first round for the first time since 2016, when they selected defenseman Charlie McAvoy 14th overall.
Boston hasn’t had a top-10 pick since Dougie Hamilton went to them ninth overall in 2011, and they haven’t had a top-five pick or higher since Tyler Seguin went to them second overall in 2010. Needless to say, landing a top-five pick or better this season would do wonders for Boston’s core in the next decade or longer. All things considered, the Bruins’ relatively short period of struggle this season could be extremely beneficial for their big picture.
Another team in a similar situation to the Bruins is the Nashville Predators. They currently have the NHL’s third-worst record despite being major buyers in free agency. Heading into next season, Nashville has about $17.
2 million in cap space, so GM Barry Trotz will have many areas where he can improve the organization. The Predators haven’t had a top-10 draft pick since they selected defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall in 2013. Incredibly, they haven’t had a top-three pick or better since selecting David Legwand second overall with the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 1998.
The Preds desperately need young, elite talent, and like the Bruins, Nashville’s unexpected collapse this season could have benefits in the long haul.Three NHL Clubs That Made The Best Of A Seller’s MarketThe NHL trade deadline saw contenders mortgage their future by trading future first-round picks and top prospects to add players to help in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup. But back to the Bruins, whose fans have grown accustomed to year after year of being legitimate front-runners to go on long playoff runs.
Their longest playoff drought since the 1960s is two seasons.It must be unsettling for them to see this rapid collapse, but it must be more comforting to know that this doesn’t happen as often to them as it does to other teams. They’ll also be picking up a skilled player who can be part of their core for many years to come.
Who knows – by adding some veteran talents, Boston could return to the playoff mix next season. But you can’t get elite young players without some short-term pain, and that’s why the Bruins’ current struggles are a double-edged sword. They, at some point, needed to bottom out to take more steps forward as soon as possible, and that time is now.
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