Bruins coach Jim Montgomery holds all the cards after Boston swung a potentially game-changing trade with the Washington Capitals.
The NHL-leading Bruins got even better Thursday night when they acquired veteran defenseman Dmitry Orlov and highly intense forward Garnet Hathaway from the Caps. The only roster player Boston parted with was Craig Smith, who struggled to find consistent playing time under Montgomery.
The word of the day for Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney was “complementary” or some form of it. Speaking to reporters Thursday night, both talked about how Orlov and Hathaway complement what Boston already does well. The duo adds depth and gives the Bruins valuable insurance as the playoffs near.
When it comes to finding spots in the lineup for both, though, that’s easier said than done. Such is life for a historically successful team that has enjoyed relatively good health to this point in the season. All it takes is one injury to throw things into disarray, but even if Boston continues to be blessed by the hockey gods, Montgomery isn’t about to complain about his, well, full house.
“I’d rather be playing with three aces and two kings than three 2’s, and two 3’s,” Montgomery quipped to reporters in Seattle on Thursday night.
Be that as it may, the Bruins can only ice 20 skaters each night. Montgomery, along with Sweeney and the rest of the Bruins power brokers will go to work on figuring out a lineup that gives them the best chance to win, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it happen on a rotating basis.
For now, though, here’s what the Bruins’ lineup could look like in the early days of Orlov and Hathaway, starting with the forwards.
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Jake DeBrusk
David Pastrnak — David Krejci — Pavel Zacha
Taylor Hall — Charlie Coyle — Nick Foligno
A.J. Greer — Trent Frederic — Garnet Hathaway
In the short term, there’s not a huge change for the Bruins. Hathaway is a solid bottom-six forward, and that’s certainly the role he’ll play in Boston. Here, we’ve got him on the fourth line with Frederic and Greer, giving the Bruins a borderline elite checking line. Having to play against Frederic and Hathaway, two big dudes who love to throw around their weight, is a formidable task for opposing players. As Sweeney said Thursday, Hathaway is the sort of player that frees up his teammates and gives his opponents anxiety. Pretty good compliment for a fourth-line guy.
Greer, meanwhile, has caught on nicely with the Bruins and rounds out that group as a responsible player, who, like his linemates, isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty.
This conversation gets a little more complicated when Tomas Nosek gets healthy. Again, though, good problem to have. In the short term, an excess of capable forwards allows the Bruins to start resting some top-end players down the stretch ahead of the playoffs. In the long term, Montgomery should feel confident making those game-to-game lineup tweaks if his team needs a jolt. To be able to bring a player like Hathaway from the press box to the fourth line midway through a series could really flip the team’s momentum.
As it pertains to Orlov, that’s where things get really difficult. The Bruins have had an insane run of health in the back end. They have rolled with the same six defensemen for just about the entire season. That fortunate run of health can’t be counted on come springtime, though, so the group will certainly change.
All of that being said, here’s one way the Bruins could line up their D-pairings:
Dmitry Orlov — Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm — Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort — Connor Clifton
What’s interesting about Orlov is his ability to play either side. Ultimately, that should allow Montgomery to tweak the lineup in a number of ways. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Orlov draw in and give McAvoy or Carlo a breather down the stretch. Maybe he pairs up with Lindholm at some point. Or perhaps Grzelcyk moves over to the right, and Montgomery rearranges from there.
The possibilities feel endless, but the attrition of late-season and playoff hockey might ultimately force Montgomery’s hand.
For now, though, the point can’t be overstated enough within the organization: Even if this affects playing time, there’s a greater goal in mind for everyone.
“Everything we do with the Boston Bruins is to try to make ourselves better,” Montgomery said. “We felt we did that. For the guys, it’s the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. That’s what we’re all in it for. Our guys understand injuries do happen and opportunities can be there for everyone. If that means we rotate our defensemen, that’s things we’ll talk about now that we know what our D-corps is.
“I look at it as what a great opportunity it is for everyone more so than how it affects certain individuals.”
