2nd Line

Tyler Seguin (11-11-22  -4  $1.25M):  Man, would this kids life be a hell of a lot different if we decided to keep Kessel and Seguin was set to rot in Toronto!  There were a lot of people that got pretty low on Seguin during the year, which I thought was unwarranted.  

Did he have an amazing year?  Nope.  The kid is a 19 year old rookie playing with grown men.  Going from juniors to the NHL has to be like going from elementary school to high school.  What the hell happened to junior high?!  There were a few things going against Seguin this year.  As I just mentioned his age and experience.  At 19 years old I was about 140 lbs with my snowboarding gear on.  Give this guy a few offseasons and I'm sure he'll fill in nicely.  

Next, Claude's system.  We all have seen the glimpse of brilliance that Seguin can bring.  His speed and offensive skill are already top notch and that should only improve.  Claude hates offense and goals and would probably just watch two goalies go at it for 3 periods if he could.  It appeared they wanted Seguin to learn his defensive responsibilities in the system before they cut him loose.  Although that was frustrating, I do think that'll make him a better player in the long run.

I'd like to see the coaching staff take the choke collar off and let him fly a little bit.  When Tampa tried to play an open ice game, you saw how nasty Seguin can be.  With Bergeron feeding him the pucks and Marchy crashing the net, I'm excited as to the potential of Seguin in his second year.  It'll be a crime if he isn't on the top power play unit's sniper as well.


Brad Marchand (21-20-41 +25  $???) - I don't think there was anyone in hockey that could've predicted the season that Marchand had.  I originally thought he was going to be a very solid replacement to Begin on the fourth line.  Early on the season, he looked like the perfect 4th liner.  I even dubbed him the "Gnat" because he would just annoy the hell out of everyone.  Even as a 4th liner, he was still showing off some of his offensive skills.  Eventually, Marchy got promoted to the 2nd line and ends up potting 21 goals!?  Unreal.

It didn't stop there.  He caught on FIRE in the playoffs, scoring 11 goals and 8 helpers.  One of those goals is possibly one of the prettiest shorthanded goals I've ever seen.  Or it might just feel that way because it was on Luongo and made him look like a FOOL!

I know Marchand isn't signed yet, but I have faith he will be.  I'm assuming the B's offered something like 2-3 years $2.5M per and his agent is probably solely focusing on his playoff performance and pushing for more like $3.5M per year.  The Bruins will have to overpay slightly to keep him, but I think it'll remain in the $3M ballpark.

Patrice Bergeron (22-35-57 +20  $5.00M) - Can you believe Bergie is only 26 years old and he's already been on the Bruins for 7 years?!?!?  You forget he made the team as a 19 year old who could barely speak any English.  He's now a well spoken veteran, who I hope spends the rest of his career with the B's.  When Jumbo Joe got traded, I was actually hoping for Bergie to get the C.  Even now I'd prefer him with the C rather than the A.  Nothing against Z, Bergeron's just a solid leader.

This year was his most consistent year he's had in awhile.  Playing in 80 games, he's starting to play like he did pre- Randy Jones hit.  There were many that doubted he would be able to play at a high level again, but luckily he has proven them wrong.  For some reason he isn't getting any Selke Trophy recognition that he deserves as the leagues top defensive forward.  Not only is he one of the Bruins offensive threats, he's one of the top 10 face-off leaders in the league, plays the point on the power play and sees significant time on the penalty kill.  Even with missing the first two games of the Lightning series, Bergeron finished second on the team in playoff scoring. 

I expect to see his stat line close to what it was in his second and third season as a Bruin: 30-40-70.  With both Seguin and Marchy expected to improve, I can easily see him getting over the 40 assist mark.