Free agency has come and gone and the Boston Bruins beefed up their roster. Going into the offseason, the pressing needs were a true number-one center and a boost on the blue line. General manager Don Sweeney managed to fill both needs and added quality talent at both positions. Shipping up to Boston is Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
The Bruins suffered a loss on the back end, as Matt Grzelcyk went on to sign a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Adding Zadorov gives the Bruins quality depth and no shortage of options when constructing the defensive pairings. Also, this might be the deepest blue line that they have had in recent memory. After taking a look at what the forward lines could look like, let’s take a look at the defensive pairs for the 2024-25 season.
Pair 1: Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy
The top pair for the Bruins got much more dynamic. No disrespect to Grzelcyk, who had tremendous chemistry alongside McAvoy, but Lindholm is much better defensively and can contribute just as much offensively. When Sweeney acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks during the 2021-22 season, he knew he was getting a legit top pair/top-four defenseman. He has become just that for the Bruins and has proven he and McAvoy work together.
Lindholm being responsible defensively allows McAvoy to do more offensively. Together, they were an effective top pair for the Bruins. During the 2023-24 regular season, they spent over 300 minutes together on the ice. In that span, the duo managed to generate 13.7 expected goals, which was good for 2.93 expected goals per 60 minutes. Defensively, they averaged 1.93 expected goals against per 60 minutes, so the play was in their favor when they were on the ice.
The results exceeded the Bruins’ expectations. When on the ice, Lindholm and McAvoy accounted for 18 goals scored and 10 against. It is not every day that you get two Norris Trophy-caliber players on the same pair, so this is a luxury for the Bruins blue line. Both players are capable of logging heavy minutes and can execute at both ends of the ice.
McAvoy is regarded as one of the top defensemen across the entire league and is the anchor on the backend. As for Lindholm, he is a player that finished top five in Norris Trophy voting during the 2022-23 season. Despite him having a down year in 2023-24, he was still an effective player. His bouncing back is huge for the blue line and this top pair could be among the league’s best during the 2024-25 season.
Pair 2: Brandon Carlo, Mason Lohrei
Lindholm primarily spent time playing alongside Brandon Carlo. That pair was very effective for the Bruins, as they finished with a goals-for percentage of 60% and did a tremendous job of suppressing the opposition. With Lindholm taking the leap to the top pair, Carlo gets to play the mentor role. Standing alongside him will be young defenseman Mason Lohrei.
Lohrei showed he belonged in the Bruins lineup throughout the 2023-24 season. Rookie mistakes and lapses are bound to happen, but he continued to work hard and show the staff he is a valuable piece on the blue line. Lohrei got a good glimpse of being alongside Carlo during the preseason and he impressed the veteran leader. After their preseason tilt against the Buffalo Sabres, Carlo went on to say,
“You can tell that he’s got that within his game. With our length and long sticks, hopefully we’ll be able to close a lot of those rushes off by the blue line and that’s something I’m looking to do (in Buffalo). But he’s definitely impressed me so far.”
Lohrei and Carlo spent 160 minutes together, so the chemistry is there. Both players are tall and lanky and have good range with their sticks. That’s huge, as they can close the gap and create turnovers. During the regular season, the expected goals against was much higher than their expected goals for, showing they were getting caved into their own territory. However, the duo had opposite results when it counted the most. With them on the ice, the Bruins outscored their opponents 10-5, and averaged 3.74 goals per 60 minutes. Also, Carlo and Lohrei were among the best defensive pairs during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
They only played 31 minutes together, as head coach Jim Montgomery went to the blender during the playoff run. When Lohrei and Carlo were together, the duo had a strong expected goals percentage (72%). Offense was in their favor and they took it to the opposition. The sample size is fairly small, but there is success here with these two players.
Carlo is arguably the best shutdown defenseman on the roster and he takes great pride in his role. During the team’s playoff run, he touched on how much he embraces his role.
“It’s obviously an honor each night to play top guys,” Carlo told The Hockey News. “You take a lot of pride in that, and that’s something that, especially for myself, that’s something that I like to look towards as a challenge, a good challenge, especially going into playoffs. I’m hopefully going to be matched up against top lines in the playoffs, so same sort of thing here. Just take it as a good challenge to prepare even more for the next steps going forward.”
Carlo can be a mentor for Lohrei and allow him to flourish offensively. Lohrei is a tremendous skater and is good with the puck on his stick. If there is ever a time when he does make a mistake, Carlo will be there to clean up the mess.
Pair 3: Nikita Zadorov, Andrew Peeke
This third pair may be among the toughest in the entire league. The duo of Andrew Peeke and Nikita Zadorov have not played together, but what they bring to the table is something the Bruins have been missing. They now have a bottom pair that is stronger, bigger, and meaner than what they had in 2023-24.
Peeke was acquired at the trade deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets. After not being able to secure a place on the roster there, he became an instant fit on the third pair in Boston. Peeke is a physical player (88 hits) and is also unafraid to block shots. Once he got settled into Boston, he showed tremendous upside and was more responsible defensively than when he spent time in Columbus. During his time with Columbus, he was a player that often got caved into his own end and puck possession was never in his favor. Also, he finished with 17.01 expected goals against and accounted for 19 against as a whole. In his time with the Bruins, he finished with a positive expected goals percentage and a positive goal differential. The chance of scenery and better team defense was a huge benefit for Peeke.
Zadorov in video form. He’s a punisher… pic.twitter.com/79IXW3Rbks
— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) July 1, 2024
Now onto the big ticket free agency acquisition. The Bruins have tremendous depth and there is a world where Zadorov can slot on any of the other two pairings. However, he brings an added element to the team and it’ll benefit the bottom pair as well. Zadorov is big, physical, and can even give a boost offensively. He will instantly be a fan favorite, as he is known for delivering bone-crushing checks.
Zadorov has never been more than a 20-point player in his career. But what he lacks in offense, he makes up for with his shutdown ability. Also, he can play on the penalty kill and can be deployed in multiple situations. For his size, he is a good skater and he excels at breaking the puck out of his own zone. Together, Zadorov and Peeke can cause chaos and be tough to play against. One area the Bruins lacked was toughness on the back end. Sweeney took a page out of the Florida Panthers playbook and got tougher. Overall, this Bruins back end is deep and should be better than during the 2023-24 season.
Bruins Are Deep on the Blue Line
You have to give credit to the Bruins front office. They went out and identified needs to improve the club. It’s no secret that the Bruins are deeper now than they were during the 2023-24 season. There is a way that these pairs can be shuffled around, but they give the Bruins balance and depth. Not to mention, each can be deployed based on where the game is at. Whether they need a goal or need to close out the game, there is a pair that can deliver. It is going to be fun to see how these play out during the 2024-25 season, but Bruins fans have every reason to be excited.
