What the Bruins lineup will look like in 2023-24

In response to Bergeron's departure, the Bruins made some noteworthy moves during the offseason, securing one-year deals with experienced wingers Milan Lucic and James van Riemsdyk, as well as centers Morgan Geekie and Jesper Boqvist, and winger Patrick Brown.

As we turn our gaze to the opening night lineup, it's highly probable that Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha will take the reins at center for the top two lines, having showcased their skills during the postseason series against the Florida Panthers when both Bergeron and David Krejci were unavailable.

An educated guess for the forward lines could look something like this:

Brad Marchand — Charlie Coyle — Jake DeBrusk
James van Riemsdyk — Pavel Zacha — David Pastrnak
Milan Lucic — Morgan Geekie — Oskar Steen/Jakub Lauko
A.J. Greer — Jesper Boqvist/Trent Frederic — Patrick Brown/Jayson Megna

The bottom two lines present more uncertainty, with several players capable of playing both center and wing, which provides coach Jim Montgomery with an abundance of options.

Prospects such as Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, and Marc McLaughlin will battle for spots in the lineup during camp, and this could lead to some tough decisions for the Bruins management.

On the defensive end, most pairings are expected to remain unchanged, except for Connor Clifton's departure to the Buffalo Sabres and Kevin Shattenkirk joining the team. Keep an eye out for Mason Lohrei, who might challenge Jakub Zboril for a spot depending on his performance during camp.

Projected defensive pairings:

Matt Grzelcyk — Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm — Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort/Jakub Zboril/Mason Lohrei — Kevin Shattenkirk

Between the pipes, the Bruins are likely to rely on Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman for the season, pending the outcome of Swayman's arbitration hearing on July 30.

Source: Nesn