The Boston Bruins have battled heavier, more physical teams in recent playoff series and fallen short. This offseason, General Manager Don Sweeney made a concerted effort to change that trend by adding roster pieces that now make the Bruins the heaviest team in the National Hockey League. Sweeney signed 6-foot-6, 250-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov and obtained 6-foot-4, 225-pound forward Mark Kastelic as part of the return for departed goaltender Linus Ullmark.
With an average weight of 207 pounds, the Bruins enter training camp as the heaviest team in the NHL, just ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights (205 pounds). Boston is also tied with Vegas for the top average height among NHL rosters at 6-foot-2, with the Bruins potentially set to open the new season with 13 of its 20 skaters 6-foot-3 or taller. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy joked, “I’m the smallest D on the team now,” McAvoy (6-foot-1, 209 pounds) added after a captains’ practice. Forward Trent Frederic is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and felt average size in the locker room.
Zadorov mentioned that the team has “a lot of horses” on defense and talked about teams in the Atlantic Division, like Florida, who are big and hard to play against. The Bruins are looking to emulate that formula this season. But does size matter most? Is there another element that the team lacks?
Sweeney was asked about team skating speed and said that even though players have great size and some nastiness, players will still need to have enough skating ability or “they won’t play”. Players like Kastelic, John Beecher, and newcomer Max Jones are big, but also have good speed and can skate and forecheck. But Head Coach Jim Montgomery said the emphasis might be down low.
“I think last year, we became a little bit more of a forechecking team than we were two years ago,” Montgomery noted. “And I think we have to wait and see exactly what our strengths are. … But I do imagine us trying to be a heavy, down-low offensive hockey team, and then also being heavy down low in our own end, killing plays, and getting out.”
People can debate if the Bruins are better than last year or not and goaltender Jeremy Swayman is still left unsigned as training camp begins on Wednesday. But there is no denying that the “Big, Bad Bruins” could very well be back in Boston.
