By: Andrew Parker
David Krejci just finished up his 13th year in a Bruins sweater, and he quietly posted one of the better seasons of his career. He had tied his career high in points with 73, and played in 81 of 82 games during the regular season. Outside of Brad Marchand, he was arguably the Bruins most consistent player all year long. This took place even after having seven different combinations of wings on his line, which is not ideal for establishing any type of chemistry.
While Jake DeBrusk has been looking like a mainstay as Krejci’s left wing, the right wing has been a revolving door for what seems like an eternity. Where do they turn to fix this?
This same question seems like it was the main topic last off-season, where there was no clear player to fill the right wing spot. Fast forward a year later and here we are again. Play the kids? Pay a winger in free agency? Trade Torey Krug for a 25-30 goal scorer? Those questions were never answered last year. Let’s take a look at some interesting options for next year.
Anders Bjork or Jack Studnicka
Photo via: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Anders Bjork is a forgotten man in Boston, as shoulder injuries have really prevented him from playing at the level he is capable of. Bjork has the talent to play at the highest level and has the ceiling to be a top six winger in the league. If Bjork can come into camp and show he is back to his healthy form, look for him to really compete for some minutes on the 2nd line.
I had to throw Jack Studnicka on this list as a long shot, but boy he is exciting. Studnicka has the highest ceiling of any current Bruins prospect right now. He is a natural center, and the word is out of Bruins camp that they want to keep him in that position. With that being said, how intriguing does it sound to put a kid with an electric finish and tons of speed on Krejci’s RW?
Free Agent or Trade
Honestly, this is the most logical option the Bruins will take this off-season. Last year, the Bruins chose to play the kids, and it seemed to pay off for the most part. One has to wonder if they want to switch it up and see what adding an established right wing could do to this team. With a little over 14 million in cap space, the Bruins must resign Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. After that, the next priority should be finding that 2nd line RW. It is pretty unpredictable which route they will take to fill this spot, but Cam Neely addressed the question head on in his press conference this week.
Cover photo via: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
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