Boston Bruins
Bruins forwards like Johnny Beecher and Fabian Lysell could be on the roster bubble.
With cuts on the horizon, Marco Sturm and the Bruins started to separate their lineup regulars from potential roster-bubble candidates during Thursday’s skates at Warrior Ice Arena.
Here are three takeaways from the eighth day of Boston’s training camp:
Splitting up the group
With Providence’s training camp set to get underway in just a few days, Boston is set to start trimming down their camp grouping as the preseason carries on.
That sentiment was reinforced on Thursday morning, with Sturm and his staff separating Boston’s two practice groups into a pretty clear delineation between NHLers and younger skaters likely destined for the AHL ranks this fall.
Here is a look at the personnel for both groups on Thursday:
Group A
Morgan Geekie – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Matej Blumel – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot – Casey Mittelstadt – Matt Poitras
Mikey Eyssimont – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
Marat Khusnutdinov – Fraser Minten – Alex Steeves
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Andrew Peeke
Nikita Zadorov – Henri Jokiharju
Jordan Harris – Victor Soderstrom
Jeremy Swayman
Michael DiPietro
Group B
Forwards: Johnny Beecher, Dans Locmelis, Fabian Lysell, Riley Tufte, John Farinacci, Patrick Brown, Georgii Merkulov, Jeffry Viel, Joey Abate, Dalton Bancroft, Ty Cheveldayoff, Riley Duran, Brett Harrison, Jake Schmaltz
Defensemen: Jackson Edward, Jonathan Aspirot, Colin Felix, Billy Sweezey, Frederic Brunet, Max Wanner, Ty Gallagher, Mike Callahan
Goalies: Luke Cavallin, Šimon Zajíček
The only lineup regular missing from Boston’s practice on Thursday was Joonas Korpisalo, with the veteran netminder excused from the skate due to a family matter, according to Sturm.
Given the personnel in place on Group B — coupled with the fact that Providence Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel ran that practice instead of Sturm — it seems clear that Boston is starting to hone in on which players could open the season in Washington DC on Oct. 8.
But, Sturm said that no decisions have been made yet when it comes to roster cuts.
“Yes, we split it in two groups,” Sturm said. “But every day there might be some changes again, going back and forth. So it’s not really set. Could be special teams, for example, tomorrow. That’s why a few guys will be going back and forth.
“So we try to keep everyone honest and try to get everyone involved as much as we can and yeah — I was just happy to work with the main NHL guys today and have the other guy working with Moug and his group.”
Beecher, Lysell seem to be on roster bubble
There weren’t a whole lot of surprises with a majority of Group B’s personnel on Thursday — with a majority of those skaters and netminders entering camp as likely AHL regulars.
But, after just two preseason games and five full-squad camp practices, it doesn’t exactly bode well that a few players like Fabian Lysell and Johnny Beecher are skating separately from a majority of Boston’s NHL talent.
Lysell — once viewed as a potential middle-six contributor this season as a former first-round pick, said he didn’t receive word on why the groups were split up as they were on Thursday.
“Nothing,” Lysell said of the message from the staff before Thursday’s skate. “So, yeah, just come back in and keep working hard.”
The 2021 first-round selection has struggled to find traction during his repeated attempts to carve out a roster spot with Boston.
In two preseason games with Boston so far this month, Lysell has scored zero points with three shots on goal.
“I mean, it’s just that last third of the ice where I can use my speed and break through with my ability to create scoring chances,” Lysell said of what he needs to do to make a push for NHL reps.
Beecher — a 2019 first-round pick — didn’t help his case in the numbers game on Tuesday during his preseason debut against New York.
The 24-year-old forward was knocked for a turnover in the offensive zone that led to a goal for Rangers forward Gabe Perreault — while his line alongside Mark Kastelic and John Farinacci was caved in during 5-on-5 play.
In just 7:39 of ice time when that line was out on a shift, the Rangers outshot Boston, 5-0, and outscored them, 2-0.
“I thought it started pretty strong,” Beecher said of his camp so far. “I feel like practices have been going well. Working hard, trying to just come in every day with a positive attitude.
“Obviously my first game there in New York didn’t really go quite the way I wanted it to. But nothing we can do about it now. Just gotta learn from it and move on and take every day as a new opportunity.”
Poitras shifts to the wing
One of the priorities for Sturm as he tries to find the right pieces for Boston’s middle-six grouping is identifying the proper linemates for playmaking center Casey Mittelstadt.
“I think, definitely, we need speed. … Casey, he will find you,” Sturm said. “He’s that good on the puck and that smart, he will find you. But he needs guys to push him along and push him forward. And I think that for me, is a big thing.”
The Bruins have some shot-ready wingers with a natural burst on the roster — headlined by Viktor Arvidsson and Matej Blumel.
But, on Thursday, the Bruins opted to move Matt Poitras over to wing and stick him on a line with Mittelstadt and forward Tanner Jeannot.
It’s been an up-and-down preseason for Poitras, who has showcased some of his expected poise with the puck but has also been prone to taking some big hits on the ice.
Putting him on a line with an imposing bruiser like Jeannot might alleviate some of the punishment that is regularly doled out against Poitras in the NHL ranks.
But, the natural center will likely need to adjust to playing more of a straight-line game on the wing if he wants to carve out a role as Mittelstadt’s linemate.
“Matty has played a few games at center, and then we moved him on the wing, so he probably is going to get a shot on the wing at one point,” Sturm said. “With Mittelstadt’s ability to move pucks and find guys, I thought it would be maybe a good pair moving forward, and so we’ll see. I don’t know if it’s going to stick together, but we definitely want to give Matty a shot on the wing at one point.”
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