Patrice Bergeron (No. 37)

You know, the B’s should probably just save themselves some time and go ahead and break ground on that Patrice Bergeron statue outside the Garden. Honestly, you’d think it was around the corner with the folkloric tale of the 28-year-old center’s postseason courage.

Playing Game 6 of the Stanley Cup with a broken rib, torn cartilage, a separated shoulder, and a hole in his lung, the Bruins’ loss was almost vindicated by the fact that the club’s alternate captain continued to try and play through everything that slowed him down. His reward? A new contract set to keep in Boston for perhaps the rest of his career and a shiny new winger by the name of Loui Eriksson, a Swedish talent whose skill-set complements the stylings of No. 37 to a tee.

Posting 54 goals and 153 points in 203 games since the start of the 2010-11 season, this is a season that’s simply begging to be crushed by the Quebec-born center.

It’s only fair to expect a bit of a slow start from Bergeron given his offseason surgeries, but when he gets going and clicking on all cylinders with Eriksson and Brad Marchand, there’s absolutely no doubt that the leader of the Boston forward core is going to be a three-zone MVP for the B’s.

Prediction: 23 goals, 44 assists, and a Selke Trophy.

Loui Eriksson (No. 21)

Find me a cooler exchange than the one between B’s president Cam Neely and winger Loui Eriksson when Eriksson visited Boston for the first time after the trade as shown in the first episode of NESN’s ‘Behind the B’. In his office, Neely laid out the groundwork for Eriksson’s expectations in the Hub, noting the fan’s desire to see players that compete hard night in and night out.

Replacing alleged party animal Tyler Seguin on the Bergeron line, Eriksson comes to the Hub with a strong seven-year resume built in Dallas with the Stars.

In seven NHL seasons, and in five years as a full-time NHLer, the former 33rd overall pick from the ‘03 Draft has missed just three games (two games with a head injury and one with the flu in 2010-11), all while averaging a goal every 2.86 games and totaling 130 goals and 307 points in 373 games.

Cooling down last year with just 12 goals and 29 points in 48 games, the chance to play with Bergeron on the Bruins’ reloaded power-play will undoubtedly present the Swedish winger with the chance to (successfully) win the hearts of fans in Boston and return to form under Julien’s system.

Prediction: 29 goals, 35 assists

Jarome Iginla (No. 12)

It was pretty weird to see winger Jarome Iginla dead and buried by the hockey media following his ‘unsuccessful’ stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Deemed too slow and no longer an elite talent following the Pens’ elimination at the hands of the Bruins, the Iginla situation become more than intriguing, especially when you see that Iginla scored five goals and finished with 11 points in 13 games with the Pens. Unsuccessful? Please. A Bruin though? Sure, why not.

B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli wasted no time in admitting that he was more than surprised when he heard that Iginla wanted to talk with Boston, and following the departure of Nathan Horton for the quieter pastures of Columbus, the Bruins were sold on their replacement for an opening on the club’s top line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic.

Perfect swap? Yeah, you could say that. I’m of the belief that Iginla, even at 36 years old, will be a better fit for the Lucic-Krejci connection than Horton ever was. You see, Iginla has been a model of consistency throughout his NHL career, and while he was slow out of gate in Calgary this past year, a strong preseason has told us that Iginla’s still got it, and that his motivation is perhaps at an all time high. Horton, at times, was anything but, going through prolonged goal-scoring droughts and offensive miscues throughout his three-year stint with the Black and Gold.

Like I wrote last month, there’s a special sense of pride in Iginla’s game, and he already looks healthy, ready to go, and ready to shut his doubters up in search of his first Stanley Cup ring.

Prediction: 32 goals, 30 assists

David Krejci (No. 46)

I’ve always been of the belief that Czech forward David Krejci holds the keys to the success of the Boston offense. If there’s one player that can change the dynamic of a series or game completely, it’s the soft spoken, mild mannered Krejci. Nobody’s seemed to notice that though. Until now, that is.

After leading the league in postseason scoring for the second time in three years, the 27-year-old centermen is slated to go with two hulking power forwards on either wings, and with one of them presenting Krejci with the opportunity to return to the 50-assist mark.

Everybody knows the skill-set of Iginla, a player that’s amassed 530 goals in 1,232 games at the NHL level, and everybody saw what a well conditioned Lucic looks like and what he means to the B’s, but it’s Krejci roaming role on the power-play that could prove to be the real difference in 2013-14.

Playing the point opposite Torey Krug with 6-foot-9 captain Zdeno Chara down low in front of the net, the Bruins’ power-play has the chance to be an absolute monster from the point down given the 6-foot pivot’s patience and poise in the attacking zone.

My opinion, in case you can’t tell, is that it’s going to be hard to slow his line down this year.

Prediction: 17 goals, 51 assists

Brad Marchand (No. 63)

At 5-foot-9 and with a penchant for post-whistle ‘fun’, there’s not a bigger pain in the ass for opposing clubs that come into Boston than second line winger Brad Marchand. Period.

But the most annoying part of Marchand’s game? His ability to burn you with a goal. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the 25-year-old winger has potted 68 goals, the most among any Bruin forward, and a quick 2013-14 outlook doesn’t look as if Marchand’s in danger of losing that honor.

Despite sitting at home throughout the 2013 lockout that wiped 24 games off the NHL schedule last season, Marchand returned to Boston and put together a solid season including 18 goals and 36 points in just 45 games, both tops among Bruin skaters. And in 2011-12, Marchand scored at a .37 goals per game stretch, equating out to a 30-goal pace, a figure he certainly would’ve hit if not for a five-game suspension handed to him for low-bridging the Canucks’ Sami Salo in Jan. 2012.

That, at the end of the day, will be Marchand’s biggest obstacle in 2013-14.

Whether he wants to admit or not, Marchand’s a repeat offender with a history.

He’ll be under the close watch of Brendan Shanahan and any nastiness could result in a suspension for the Nova Scotia native, something the Bruins would obviously want to avoid given his offensive progression over the past three years.

But as Marchand continues to mature and reform his game with a potential Olympic bid in sight, it’s fair to expect Marchand to try to put a lid on his ‘agitating moments’ when needed for Julien.

Prediction: 30 goals, 26 assists

Join the Discussion: » 31 Comments » Post New Comment

» Plans in goal being kept secret; Injury updates aplenty

» Roster moves highlight Game 82 planning

» B's lay an egg in Washington

» Bruins get Michigan'd by Svechnikov, 'Canes

» Bruins' playoff plans in goal coming into slight focus