Tier Listing The 2023-24 Boston Bruins Roster

Tier Listing The 2023-24 Boston Bruins Roster

I haven’t uploaded in a while so I decided that halfway through the season about 37 games in I believe coming off of a loss to Pittsburgh last night I thought it was a good idea to put together a tier list of this year’s Boston Bruins roster based on

Expectations because if we had anything to look forward to this year it’s players stepping up into bigger roles and sitting near the top of the standings it’s safe to say that a few players did that so I’m just going to start right away um I’m only including

Players that have played at least 10 games so merkulov and bfist are notable omissions from this list as well as Milan Lich who even if he had played 10 games would not be deserving of being put in this video I’ll start with Parker wspoon um so he came in from the

Islanders and spent a lot of last year with Bridgeport and essentially the expectation that I had for him would that were that he would be a seventh Defender for this team as he was that for the Islanders at points last season and he did pretty well in that role but

So far I could say he’s moderately exceeding expectations because anytime he’s been put in the lineup he hasn’t looked overly out of place like he’s had himself some pretty strong games here and there and he’s been oddly commanding in the offensive zone not exactly with

How he moves the puck but just how he maintains possession for the Bruins and he’s really helping us control play as long as he’s playing in a sheltered role so I would say he’s moderately exceeding expectations because I didn’t expect much more than just a guy who comes into

The lineup every now and then and just survives but he’s done more than that when he gets in the lineup he he thrives in a way you know relative to expectations for him so I’ve been pretty happy with him he’s been a he’s been our sixth Defender for a lot of this season

So I really can’t complain um Johnny beer so he came from Providence 2019 first round pick late first round right after we lost in the Stanley Cup Final and he took a while to develop it’s his first year in the NHL this year and he’s played the vast majority of games um I

Don’t even think he’s missed any games only a couple I think he’s been SC scratched for two games this season as he’s got 35 and he’s only got four goals and two assist but I think his defensive game has been a lot better than his offensive game he’s a weirdly good shooter he’ll

Randomly walk to the slot or even to the uh the top of the circle and just rifle one past the golender catching him off guard I think having a fourth liner with his kind of speed is always a good thing and I’d say he’s meeting expectations because he’s not really taking himself

He’s not really taking a step to where he could be a third line Center or anything he’s playing as a fourth liner and I think he’s playing it well enough next up is Charlie Cole who had all the expectations in the world coming into this season not based off previous years

But essentially the Bruins needed him to be our guy because the Bruins didn’t go out and make any significant moves in the off season to get a center our biggest ad up the middle was Morgan geeki who who you know we’ll get to aeki we’ll get to him but for Coy The Hope

Was that he could finally take this step and for as talented as he is he just never it seemed like he always lacked this this Edge or this he he is a he’s such an incredible skater and and a puck Handler but he just never knew how to

Get get it to the net or create a scoring chance out of what he does so the Hope was that he could finally do that and when he started the season he was doing that he was absolutely doing that and I would have put him at highly exceeding expectations or at least

Moderately but since then he’s kind of trailed off he’s producing well but I don’t exactly think he’s playing out of his mind if you really if you watch him out there he doesn’t look like he’s like he just looks like the same Charlie coil over the last 10 games or so and because

Of how he started the season I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and put him in moderately exceeding expectations but honestly like Coy is such a polarizing player because of how well he like he looks so like such a talented player out there but he can never get it to the net

And this season he finally started doing that but he has tapered off so the most I can give him is that he’s moderately exceeding expectations I would even put him in between these if I could but for now I’ll give him the benefit of the

Doubt I like coil I hope he can pick it back up and start playing like he was playing to start the year where he was hovering around a point per game which was some of the best play he’s ever played in his career next up is Trent

Frederick who I’ve always found to be one of Boston’s most reliable players in terms of how well the Bruins have been developing him it just seems like you could always count on him to improve year after year and I think the same could probably be said for this year

He’s got 10 goals in 37 games he’s he’s got he’s playing at a 20 goal Pace right now and I think that’s all we can really ask for him I think he’s I would say he’s moderately exceeding but again he’s kind of like coil in the sense that I

Would put him in between like it’s kind of where I expected Frederick to go I thought he would take this next step and he has but you know like even then I I wouldn’t have penned in Freddy Freddy as a 20 goal player you know like he it

Seems like he has that kind of scoring touch now but wouldn’t have wouldn’t have expected that so I’m going to I’m going to put him in moderately exceeding expectations although I would put him in between if I could next up is yakob blo and as much as I love Lao for that fire

And energy he brings and how much he seems like out of all the players on the team he loves this sport more than anyone else but with that said he hasn’t really taken a step in ter terms of his actual on Ice play he brings the energy

That he brought last year but I just don’t think he’s taking a step to improve his actual game like the on i product is still the same he’s he’s essentially getting outplayed this season by Oscar Steen which is unfortunate because he’s got that speed I don’t he doesn’t really have the hands

But he’s got the speed and he’s got the energy to be a truly dominant fourth liner if he just puts it all together but I think that the fact fact that he didn’t take a step really in my opinion I think it warrants putting him in moderately falling short of

Expectations as much as I would like him to get to those expectations I was hoping for a little more out of him I’m glad he’s getting those games he’s got 27 games this year he still hasn’t scored a goal he’s got three points but even without producing he’s not he’s not

As defensively sound he more frantic out there it feels like the Bruins are at more of a risk for chances to be created from the opposite team when he’s out there next is Matt ptra who’s still not back with the team I believe he’s back skating with the team but he just

Returned from the world juniors he had four points in five games that’s unrelated to this but just thought I’d mention where it really matters the NHL Patra he’s been exceeding expectations I can’t say highly because you know 13 points in 27 games for uh non first

Round pick I believe he was a second round pick back from Boston he’s um he’s he’s playing incredibly well considering where he was picked and how young he still is he’s only 19 right now and um he he’s he’s playing like an NHL player which is great I don’t think he’s

Playing at like much more than a third line Center at the moment but that’s all we need from him right now just Center depth and some Youth and I hope Montgomery can figure it out and start playing this guy more often I heard there plans to move him to the wing once

He gets back I think that is a terrible idea I think he’s much much more suited as a center I know he likes playing along the wall and he’s really really Shifty along the boards but you can still run that kind of that kind of movement as a center I don’t think I

Don’t think he couldn’t thrive on the wing but I don’t know I’d rather they just keep him at Center and like let him develop his play up the middle that’s what we need side tangent aside um he’s been he’s been exceeding expectations he all that’s all he’s been doing since he

Showed up the training camp is he was immediately the best player in training camp and then in the preseason he was a clear standout and he fought to make the team and he did it Against All Odds that’s exceeding expectations right there and then as soon as preseason

Ended the expectation was he could be our third line Center and he’s done that so you could almost say meeting expectations but at the same time defying the expectations for him in preseason was hard enough next is Pavo zaka and to be honest I think it’s a

Clear I think it’s clear to put him in meeting expectations at least for me there were a lot of people who were expecting zaka to step it up and be a legitimate top six center for one top six center this guy he’s not he’s not even that’s not even his best position

He’s much better suited on the wing he always always has been so when we put him at Center I think my expectations and everyone else’s should drop like he’s clearly a better player on the wing why are we expecting this guy to be a top six center for the Boston Bruins

Like this is a team at the top of the standings we can’t really expect this guy to to dominate in that kind of role not just dominate but to to excel in that role I’ve had a lot of things to say about pav zaka this season I think

He’s far from a top six center not that he couldn’t be a top six player though I think he could be a complimentary Winger in the top six like he was last year for most of the season next to crai and posto I think that was where he played

Best and now that he’s in this bigger role I really don’t love his game he he’s his he’s he’s somewhat intelligent but his Puck skills are just not there and that’s what you need when you’re playing with a guy like posto and his scoring touch is still hit or miss for

Me and he’s not that he’s not that Stellar of a playmaker he’s just average in a lot of areas and his Puck management is not good it’s not good and when you play with a guy like postr you kind of need it to be good because postr

Is a very high-risk player and if you can’t be some kind of safeguard for him what are you doing alongside of him I think zaka works best with posto but probably on the wing like they’ve been running lately where they’ve been doing Zak on on the left side and then

Geeki up the middle and postr knock on the wing I think where that’s where he looks best but for now he’s meeting my expectations of him because I didn’t expect him to be much more than a fringe TC that could probably be a fine top six left Winger just nowhere near the best

Player on his line next up I have Oscar Steen and to be honest I I’ll say he’s meeting expectations as much as I’ve been a little bit disappointed with a lack of a step in his game I was really hoping for that but I wasn’t expecting

It you know I was just hoping that he could surprise me because Steen is a he’s a very one-dimensional player and right now he’s kind of just been glued to that fourth line and if he’s going to be anywhere in this lineup that’s where he should be I’ve been advocating to

Take him out cuz I don’t think he brings the speed that loo brings or the youth that and and and the speed that beer brings so I think taking him out for a guy like merkulov could be an interesting look because that fourth line provides no offense and I I’m tired

Of fourth lines that just killed the clock it’s not it’s never going to be beneficial to the team and you know so because of this it’s like an unfair treatment towards Steen for me to say this right because you know he’s because he’s a better player than lco but lco

Brings something that Steen doesn’t and that’s energy and because of this Steen has kind of been relegated to the third guy on that line and I think that he’s really going to need to bring more offense for me to be convinced that he should stay on that line fulltime but

He’s a he’s an NHL player in his own right he’s a good defensive player he doesn’t hinder our team so much as he just makes it you know he kind of stops it from being what it could be in in a way just the fourth line steen’s not the

He’s not the the killer of the Boston Bruins don’t get don’t get me wrong Jake debrusk he has been on a heater lately I believe he’s up to seven points in his last five games maybe eight points I believe it’s seven and five but he did

Have a pretty weak start to the season I thought he was playing moderately well but you could tell that his frustrations were getting to him which is not a rare occurrence for Jake D brusk it’s happened so many times throughout his career he just goes on these long long

Long streaks without scoring or without recording a point even and lately he’s been picking it back up but I will still say overall that he is falling short because last season playing with berson and Marshon he looked like a legitimate top six two-way Winger he played on the

Power play the penalty kill this guy he he’s a Swiss army knife once he’s going not not the most um not the most Stellar playmaker but he did have a good tendency to get to the net and you know he while still being somewhat complacent he knew when to cut towards goal and

That’s why he played so well last season and that’s what he was a huge part of why that team was so good especially with his play on the penalty kill and it’s all still been there but his two-way play at five on five hasn’t been as strong and clearly his Finishing

Touch just appeared for a while this season hopefully it’s coming back and hopefully it’s here to stay because debrusk is an extremely talented player when he’s on but when he’s off he’s very frustrating to watch Brad Marshon this is a tough one because maron’s expectations coming into the year

Without berson should have still been high but a lot lower berson and Marshon as good as Marshon is they make each other so much better and I think without berson Marshon is still an elite playmaker and has some of the most dog I’ve ever seen from a player in Boston

Bruins history but this year he’s really taking a step back in terms of play driving and and two-way dominance so I’m I’m very confident in putting him in Falling short despite the high production he’s still playing at around a 75 Point pace which is nothing to scoff at he’s playing he’s producing

Well still but the problem is his his shift to- shift dominance is not there like it has been in the past and that’s something that you can’t just ignore with with a player of his caliber he’s still been one of our top players this season because of you know the role he’s

Playing in and the difficulty of that role but he’s really not excelling in that role right now and that’s something that I can see picking up because he’s still endlessly talented but I wouldn’t say he’s meeting my expectations of him even without berson production is one thing but actual on Ice Effectiveness is

Another James Van resdy this might be the first to go into highly exceeding expectations he’s still being he’s still being sheltered a good amount and if there’s one thing about Montgomery that I really like he’s very good at Sheltering players when they need to be sheltered and by that I mean giving them

Matchups that are fair to their ability not trying not overplaying someone to the point where they’re going to get dominated out there too frequently you’re putting he’s put putting players in in a position to succeed and that is an overused term when it comes to coaching but I really think Montgomery

Is one of the best in the way you get that and he’s done wonders for Van rsd’s play he’s been he’s not been sheltered too much to where he can’t you know have a challenge every now and then but it’s obvious that van van Reams Dy is not a

Terrific skater anymore he’s not a terrific Puck Handler but if there’s anything he’s good at it’s these cross scene passes and his overall playmaking ability is still great he’s a very smart player player still and he’s being put in a really good position to succeed this year only seven goals this year but

He’s got 25 points and 35 games 18 assists he’s on Pace for for about 40 assists this season that is nothing to scoff at those are very very good assist numbers and that was pretty much expected James Van Rees day over the past couple years now ever since he left

Toronto essentially has been more of a playmaker than a goal scorer and I think he’s embraced that role really well I think Montgomery’s helped him out and he has been such a big help for this lineup anywhere he plays that line plays well I he’s been the most consistently

Supportive player on this team and he’s he’s highly exceeding my expectations I thought he we would stuff him on that third line and he’d be just all right there but he is he’s been a complete Swiss army knife he’s been exactly what Jake debrus has needed to be I I love

Van Rees likes play this year and I hope he keeps it up uh David posto so posto is far in a way leading the Bruins in points goals and even assist he’s got 53 points in 37 games 23 goals this is about expected of him he’s such a talented player if

There’s one thing about posto though he is such a high-risk player he’s a giveaway machine and he’s definitely not he’s definitely not a monster along the boards I love his Edge that he’s played with this year but he has has had his off nights and it’s a little disappointing when that happens because

When he’s on he produces like a madman he he gets four points one night and then the next three games he gets no points he’s a very weird player like that there’s only a few there’s only a few Top ofthe Line players that just do that that just can be on or completely

Off like in a game to game on a game to game basis but he’s one of those guys and because of that I’d say he’s Moder ly he’s either meeting no he’s meeting expectations because we know poshak is one of the Best Wingers in the league he’s doing pretty much exactly what he

Has been doing over the past few years he’s leading the way in production he’s been a massive help to this team but he is still inconsistent and high risk and oftentimes frustrating but you can’t be too frustrated at postr because of how how much better he is than anyone else

On this team in terms of actual skill and Effectiveness and you know putting the puck in the back of the net which is the when you come when it comes down to it that’s the most important thing in hackey and he does it better than most

Brandon Carlo so the thing with Carlo is coming into this season I did have a lot of expectations for him I was really hoping that they would finally put him in a bigger role and by that I don’t mean moving him up to the top pair or

Anything above makoy that would make no sense but just playing him against tougher comp comptition finally giving him a chance to to shut down some of the top players in the NHL on a consistent basis at least more often than he has over the past two or three years now

That he’s getting paid that longterm getting paid on that long-term deal in this season he’s done exactly that Carlo has been playing against some of the toughest has getting been getting some of the toughest matchups in the League this season and he is playing well he’s he’s definitely exceeding my

Expectations I I expected him to step up he did that I didn’t actually think he would get these kind of matchups he is really really putting on a show his offensive game has been a lot better too he’s actually he’s burying pucks now too he’s putting a lot more on the net

That’s something I can never fault and he had a he had a complete missile last night against the Penguins and that kind of just that just speaks he it speaks volumes on his change of mindset in the offensive zone this year he’s been a lot more comfortable

Holding the puck in the blue on the blue line and then making a decision with it rather than just throwing it down and you know he’s been shooting more often and when he does good things happen I’ve been trying to yell at my at my TV for

Carlo to shoot more often because for some reason everything good that can happen with his team happens when he takes a shot it’s it’s incredible Carlo’s been great Derek forber so he’s only played 20 games this season it feels like he’s played less to be honest

Because of how in and out of the lineup he’s been with with health problems but when he has played he’s been about what I expected him to be he’s been he’s a third pair shutdown Defender he’s good on the penalty kill that’s pretty much all we need out of him I don’t really

Need to go that much into detail he’s got four points in 20 games he’s been what’s expected of him this year and I can’t complain Matt grizzli Matt grizzli has been one of the biggest disappointments I’ve seen with any player on the Boston Bruins over the past last five years this year grizzli

Has completely taken a step back he just turned 30 today’s his 30th birthday happy birthday buddy he’s one of my favorite players he might be I I’d say leading into this season he was my favorite player but this year it’s been weird like I still I still love watching

Matt grizzli play because I think he’s such a talented skater and typically he’s one of the top breakout passes in the league you can look at the transition numbers he was stellar this year has been completely different he’s taken he’s taken a total like I was

Going to call it a step back but there’s got to be a more excessive way to say it but he he’s completely fallen off his defensive play has been awful his all his weaknesses along the boards and yes even before the season he was he he did

Have problems in board battles and he got exposed for that every now and then but this season he’s getting exposed every shift essentially every shift I’m I would consider myself one of the biggest Matt grizzli Defenders over the past like three or four years that he’s

Been an actual top four player this year there’s been no excuses anyone who makes excuses for this player is just trying to trying to grasp onto something that isn’t there grizli has been awful this season he’s been sheltered and he’s still been awful it’s some I don’t know

If the injuries are catching up to him but he has completely missed expectations completely there were a lot of people that tried to criticize his play over the last few years and yes while I say it was declining he never reached a point where you had to Target

Him like he had been targeted by Bruins fans relentlessly last year and the year before and the year before that like this year though it’s like essentially warranted now he is playing terrible and it is so disappointing because he’s so talented and I always thought he was a

Highly intelligent player but this year it’s like something just something has just been completely a miss and he is on the verge of being sent down to Providence at this rate he is playing terrible and he really needs to start stepping it up if he wants to stay in

This lineup and stay on this team at all he might get traded in a cap dump at this point $3.6 million for a for a guy who ran with Charlie makoy on the top pair and formed one of the most dynamic pairings in the league for over the past

Three years for $3.6 million and he’s going to be part of a cap dump like that is an incredible fall off he’s the easiest easiest player to put in heavily falling short without question hampus Lindholm what’s let’s move on now hampus Lindholm another left shot D probably

More ideal on that top pair with makoy you know unless you’re going for lineup balance but hampus Lindholm this year he’s he hasn’t been as good as he was last year that is obvious but so I will put him in moderately falling short but I think it’s just I think it’s a

Very dense opinion to say that he’s been heavily falling short because hampus Lindholm before last year where he finished fourth in Norris voting when he was with Anaheim he was a great defender right just like he is now even this season he’s been playing great hockey

But if you look at his point totals with Anaheim he was a 20 to 30 point player on good teams and that was not like way too early in his career that was like around his prime which right now he’s like past that he’s past his prime right

Now I’d say like last year felt like a bit of a late bloom but to call lindol like a a like a number one Defender is just like you’re looking too much into last season as like what he absolutely is and last season he was just producing extremely well and playing terrific

Two-way hockey but this year still feels like more Lind home he’s a lot less risky this year which honestly I liked about his game last year it really made him stand out and was a big part of his uh of his offensive come upins but he’s still playing good two-way hockey like

He’s been there offensively he’s helping the he’s helping the team create offensive chances even if he’s not you know one of the two or three touches on that chance but he’s still playing well and his defensive game has been great as well I would just say that you know

After last season you kind of would have hoped that he would still be producing as much but he’s still playing great hockey he was just fourth in Norris voting last year so you would kind of hope he would be you know top 15 in in noris voting this year but the way he’s

Producing that probably won’t happen he’s still playing good hockey yeah I I’ll keep him there but if I could put him in between this and this I would I’m definitely more on this side than this but I think it’s just consensus at this point that they expected a little bit more production

Out of Lind who only has one goal in 37 games Mason lorai so expectations should be low for you know a rookie coming out of college and although he’s a rookie he’s turning 23 very soon so to be honest I did expect him to come in and

At least be play well enough to maintain a role on a bottom pair but he’s kind of been getting moved around from the bottom pair to the top pair with makoy but at the same time he’s being sheltered there’s a lot of line there’s a lot of pair hair juggling when he’s in

The lineup so that he gets easier matchups and in those easier matchups I still don’t think he’s playing all that well I I I would say he’s moderately falling short because I did expect him to be a little bit more consistent when he came into the league and I thought

His offensive game would shine through a little more because that’s what he was in college he had a deadly shot from the point his skating is stellar and it still is like he’s he’s been good in transition this year but he loses the puck way too much in the defensive Zone

He still needs to get a lot sharper with his decisionmaking he’s just not there yet I I’ve been advocating to send him back down to the miners but while Mt grizli is playing this terrible I can see why you would want to see if Loray can break

Through I just don’t think it’ll happen I think he needs more seasoning in the in the miners Charlie makoy so for makoy I would say he’s meeting expectations makoy he’s been a horse for us every year last year I think was one of his biggest drop offs out of nowhere like it

Felt like last year even though we were a 65 win team he had to he had to kind of sacrifice a lot of his defensive efficiency to to be an offensive player and that’s what he is to be honest like he is he’s a two-way Defender without a

Without question but makoy he’s such an offensively gifted player and the biggest shock about his game is how he still can’t put it together on the power play he can’t be a power play quarterback for this team I’m not I’m not sure why I think you just he’s

Too he’s too in love with maneuvering around in the offensive zone and I mean deep in the offensive zone he’s a terrific skater and nobody wants to try and take the puck off this guy because he’s so rangy and and fast and agile and his size kind of wards players off of

Him but at the same time it’s not a bad idea to try and embrace a quarterbacking role on the power play and that’s why his power play numbers have been so terrible throughout his career and I I would say this year he’s meeting expectations he’s not been the the

Monster that you know we’ve kind of come to see him as you know he’s he’s not playing in as difficult of of matchups I think Monty’s been a lot more balanced with his matchups here to avoid tiring anyone out and makoy hasn’t really embraced that role of getting easier

Matchups he’s kind of played it safe so I’m not entirely sure where I stand with avoy I kind of wish he managed to stay in the pack of ma and fox and henan and all those young talented 2-way Defenders I think he’s kind of Fallen one tier

Below but then again he could very well be in a tier of his own below those guys because he is still an elite Defender and that’s going to he’s going to stay that way throughout the length of his contract Kevin shattenkirk uh I I can confidently say he’s meeting

Expectations last year with the Ducks he was pretty much a bottom pair def Defender that could play special teams he was pretty good on the penalty kill what’s been the biggest surprise this year with him is on the power play he’s been a complete horse his his Puck

Moving on the power play has been a big part of Boston’s success during Boston’s game against Pittsburgh last night I did a lot of complaining and and mostly praying and hoping that they would put him on the power play because every time he’s on the power play Boston

Immediately steps it up I think it’s to do it has a lot to do with just how commanding he is on the blue line not in terms of skating or anything but he just like he picks a spot and he stays there and he hovers around that spot and he

Just he hits people up with these gorgeous saucer passes that just do wonders for this team and I think that he’s ex he’s meeting expectations because of this because I can’t say he’s exceeding them because his five on five play has honestly been a little bit worse than I thought like he’s getting

Sheltered a lot more than he did with with the Ducks but he’s playing a I’d say he’s playing a pretty similar game and that’s just the part of age and decline like when you play EAS your roles you know you’re not exactly going to get better when you’re actively you

Know losing your legs but I really like the role he’s embraced on that power play and I hope he keep giving him chances to uh to run that because as long as it’s working don’t you don’t need to you don’t need to try and fix anything the power play works when he’s

On it put him on it Jeremy Swan he’s sitting right by the top of the league in goal save above expected he’s up there in safe percentage every goalie stat that you can think of he’s up there the only one that he isn’t that high in is games played because he’s splitting

That role 5050 right now with lenus alar but if I had to pick one of them and say that they are playing like the better of the two I’d say Jeremy Swan is currently the 1A he’s been terrific this season coming off of last game where he had a

Pretty bad start it’s it feels weird saying that just because of how frustrating the thir of that game was but that’s Swan’s first real write off of the Season as far as I can tell he’s had games where he hasn’t been great or he’s had games where he’s even been poor

But this is the first game where he’s really hurt us you know swan has been an animal this season he’s exceeding expectations moderately I Swan was incredible last season but I think the question was if he could be a 1A would he still play that good and the answer

Right now is yes so I will say it’s moderately exceeding expectations on to lenus allar I would say he’s meeting expectations because last season coming off the vzna win I think it would be a little bit a little bit wrong to say he had to repeat that I my expectations for

Him were that he could be still a great starting golender and when he’s when he’s starting in net that’s what he is he’s great and if it weren’t for swayan he would be playing a lot more games and I I’d imagine he would still be doing great so

I’d say he’s meeting my expectations pretty firmly second last player Patrick Brown he’s sitting dead even I believe at 10 games with 10 games on the season no goals one assist expectations for him were pretty much that he could be a depth forward who comes in and plays a

Solid defensive game I would say he is Meeting those expectations but that’s because expectations for him were low coming into the year I think it would be disingenuous to say he’s falling short but I know Bruin’s fans have not enjoyed him being in the lineup I’m one of those

Brutin fans but if you had expectations that this guy would be a lock down Main State fourth line Center then your expectations were too high he’s a player that’s going to be in and out of the lineup throughout the year and that’s exactly what he has been so I’d say he’s

Meaning expectations last one here Ian Mitchell I would say he’s meeting expectations in a way he has been poor I could say but the expectations for him coming in were coming off of a year in Chicago where he was awful he was terrible with the Blackhawks last year

One of the worst defenders in the league getting consistent minutes and this year he’s been fine so I would even I would even move him up to exceeding expectations just because those expectations were so low for him so I’m I’m pretty confident saying that he’s been you know he’s been a seventh eighth

Defender this I would have expected him to be a consistent AHL player but he’s adapted pretty well so I’ll give him credit but Ian Mitchell is still not a good player he’s he’s hardly an NHL player but I can say he’s exceeding expectations just because I expected him

To not even crack the lineup but he still managed to to play 13 games and yeah he hasn’t been a total colossal disaster and that’s you know that’s I I’ll give him credit you know he was he was terrible in Chicago he hasn’t been nearly as terrible so that’s the end of

The tier list and you know I was thinking of adding merkulov and all that but they have not played enough games at all I’m hoping to do one of these by the end of the season merkulov should have around 20 games by then at least so it’ll be interesting to see where he

Goes for predictions of players that I expect to jump or fall on this list I’m going to say Cole drops down to meeting expectations I I just have a feeling he’s going to keep up with the pace he’s on which is a negative Pace I think

Patra will stay around there I think de Brusque is going to go up I’m really hoping Mason lauray goes up if not sent down to the miners I think campus lindome is going to go off production is he’s de he’s due to start producing a little more I’m hoping I’m hoping that

Matt grizzli and Brad Marshon both go up at least one tier I’m very much hoping for that I think the Bruins are going to need that kind of that kind of improved play from grizzli and marshan because you know if the Bruins don’t have their short Kings what do they have in reality

The Bruins are just going to need these guys to start playing better because right now I’m even though the Bruins are sitting right at the top of the standing I’m not even sold on this team we’re not playing as good as our record would suggest which kind of gives me the idea

That a fall off is imminent and another losing skid is imminent and we’re going to be uh a little less commanding throughout the rest of the year and I think the Bruins should definitely look into adding to this roster because with our record right now it’s clear we will

Be in the playoffs why not commit and try to try to get a run with these players but that’s for another video or for another time thanks for watching um I’ll catch you whenever I upload again so leave a like uh or don’t classic Eric just like completely

Forgetting one player thing is I didn’t forget Morgan geeky in the sense that I didn’t get his pictures as you can see there’s two of him and one has a slightly larger head because ESPN is weird that’s besides the point point being early in the video I said

Something like we’ll get to Morgan geeky failing to realize that I didn’t put his picture in the tier list and I thought somebody was missing so I’m going to quickly do Morgan geeki after the video ends because I’m I’m terrible at this thing so geeky I can safely put him in

Meeting expectations last year with Seattle he was one of the he was one of the better producers out of all fourth liners I think he produced at a rate like per 60 Minutes of play similar to like McDavid which you know obviously what I’m saying here is that geeki is as

Good as McDavid but realistically he produced very well in a fourth line role and that’s because he’s a talented offensive player and he was getting played in a matchup system that was way too easy for him the Bruins they’re giving him more of a chance to play a bit tougher competition he’s still

Getting shelter pretty well but I think he’s playing pretty well he’s a grinder certainly a grinder but I think coming out of of Juniors he was more of a a goal scorer if I remember correctly with Carolina that’s what he was touted as he was a goal scorer and he can shoot the

Puck and we saw that against Pittsburgh he had a gorgeous goal off the uh off the rush coming from the right side but I’ll credit poso with the pass because it was nasty point being geeki he’s played well like his def defensive game is as poor as ever but he that’s that’s

What I mean he’s meeting expectations I kind of wish he was exceeding them but he’s meeting them and the Bruins are Sheltering him well enough to where he can play in a bigger role but also not a role too big to where he’s going to get

He’s going to get stoned and and shut down by like some of the top defenders in the league every shift he’s meeting expectations I honestly didn’t even have to include him I could have just said his name or something but I’m I don’t know I I don’t know how I forgot him I

Had to save his photo twice and I still forgot him but he’s there now and so is his his friend right here and I’ll put him there too so this is the actual end of the video uh thanks for watching um hopefully I don’t forget another player

If I did I’m never going to forgive myself oh my God I did forget another player oh my God I don’t know how this happens okay danan Heinen last player there’s no chance that I forget another player right hen has been really really helpful to the Bruins adding him off of

Off of a PTO that he was on for like a month like maybe even more he was on that PTO for so long and I had expectations for Heinen I talked about him in a previous video when I went over the remaining ufas in August and Heen

Was one of them and one of the first things I said was that he should be signed right now hen last year he had a very significant drop off in his shooting percentage and that really impacted his production and production is what gets GMS interested first and foremost and because of that Heinen

Didn’t really go sign for a while and I think a lot of teams missed out hinen this year has been playing mostly on the third line but he’s actually gotten reps in the top six although although even in the top six he’s not been getting like really you know consistent matchups with

Like top end guys he’s mostly just there as like a plug-and-play player and that’s all we can really ask for out of heend he reminds me of jvr in that way jvr has been a lot better this year obviously but just like the ability to

Get put into any spot in the lineup and to play well enough like he’s been playing on that third line with I believe Frederick and jvr over the past couple of games and they’ve been fantastic together and I can’t complain about Heinen because of that he’s an

Incredible for Checker um even he does still lack a bit of Edge and he’s not nearly as good along the board and in battles but um I have I’ve always liked his game like I can’t say always but I’ve liked his game since he left Boston

For the first time I was a big advoc Advocate to get rid of him back in 2020 I believe it was when he was really really having a poor season with the Bruins and he wasn’t moving the needle at all for this team we got rid of him

And now he’s back and his game is improved and he’s more well-rounded and consistent and I’ve loved his game I’m going to say he’s moderately exceeding expectations because I didn’t think he would just come into the come back to the Bruins and just be like such a

Different player from when he was first with us I could even say meeting cuz you know I had expectations for him I thought he could be a good third liner like that’s kind of what he was but you know he’s been a great third liner so I’ll say he’s moderately exceeding

Expectations okay this is the actual end of the video I can’t I can’t let this happen all the time like Jesus okay so yeah that’s the end of it uh see you yeah

In this video, I place the Boston Bruins roster into tiers based on my expectations from before the season began.