© Provided by Boston.com Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) skates against the Seattle Kraken during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, as the Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken with a score of 6-5. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)Heading into the NHL playoffs, the Boston Bruins are still comfortably atop the league standings. And for a team that already has impeccable depth, general manager Don Swinney bolstered the roster after acquiring Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi at the trade deadline.
Jim Montgomery now has an embarrassment of riches to work with. He'll have more to do once Nick Folino, Taylor Hall and Derek Forbort return or return from lower-body injuries.
With such a deep list comes difficult decisions. That's clearly a good problem for Montgomery and the coaching staff to have, even if it means becoming an NHL regular. For hockey's ultimate prize, the Bruins can make adjustments when things go wrong.
Here's what a healthy Bruins roster could look like in the playoffs.
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jake DeBrusk
After taking over a starting role alongside Marchand and Bergeron late last season, DeBrusk hasn't looked back. Montgomery could crack that line if the Bruins need an offensive spark in the playoffs, but for the most part this top line will remain goaltending.
Pavel Zacha-David Krejci-David Pastrnak
Ditto for checkered lines and unmatched chemistry. Any injuries to Bergeron or Krejci could shift the threat from the wing to center, but that's another story later.
Taylor Hall-Charlie Coyle-Tyler Bertuzzi
The top six lists below show the "tough" decisions
A healthy hall will probably end up with a quail. After a rough debut to start 2021-22, Hall and Coyle have developed more chemistry with each other as the Bruins have reached their full potential.
Trent Friedrich served as Hall's opposite wing for this run. But his versatility gives Montgomery another option. Because of that, the Bruins can include one of their rookies in Bertuzzi to round out the third line.
Nick Foligno-Trent Frederick-Garnet Hathaway
This mix of performance and fitness makes the fourth line interesting. This potential line has everything a fourth line requires: power, hustle, growl and point and shoot.
The Bruins' fourth line hasn't exactly been in the mix since the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Led by Folino, with Frederick's offensive improvement and Hathaway's flair, the B's are a truly impressive fourth. They will have a trio.
Additions: Thomas Nosek, AJ Greer
Scratching Nosek wasn't easy, especially after scoring five goals in 11 games under center, one of his best offensive options in Boston.
While Nosek's scoring isn't spectacular, he will provide the Bruins with quality minutes and stability in the frontcourt. His 58.6% completion rate in the circle ranks him second on the team behind Patrice Bergeron. 60.7% effective win rate.
Falingo, Frederick and Hathaway had the advantage of having to sit. But Nosek could replace Foligno, Frederick or Hathaway if the Bruins can't snap a 7-game hitting streak. Another injury up front relegated Nosek to a fourth-line center position.
Anchoring the fourth-line wings with two spark plugs in Folino and Hathaway, Greer emerged as the odd man out. While he brings his usual energy and scoring punch to the 6, Folgino and Hathaway's previous playoff experience outweighs what Greer brings to the club, at least for now.
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
The first defensive decision is the left shooting position next to McAvoy. Familiarity with the Grzelcyk-McAvoy duo can win here.
Grzelcyk's 5-foot-5 shot may not physically overwhelm opponents, but his defensive stick placement and offensive zone skating more than make up for his frame.
With the Grzelcyk-McAvoy duo boasting some of the best 5v5 numbers in the league, along with Gretzky and McAvon at full strength, the Bruins had good scoring (286-241) and shot attempts (549-477) and outscored their opponents 34-14.
Some matchups could lead to Montgomery and the coaching staff taking a more aggressive approach on the blue line. In this case, Hampus Lindholm or Dimitri Orlov will skate with McAvo. But the Bruins shouldn't worry about that development until they have a second-round matchup against the Maple Leafs or Lightning.
Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo
The balance continues with Lindholm and Carlo in the second pair.
Carlo entered into some limbo after establishing a reliable partnership with Torey Krug before signing with St. Louis for the 2020 season.
Despite over 28% of their shifts being started in the offensive zone and over 33% forced in the offensive zone, the two teams have combined for the second-highest 5-5 goals in the league with 30 total goals and a disappointing 16 goals.
Lindholm's two-way skills and Carlo's physicality fit well in Montgomery's fast-paced system around the net. As a result, Lindholm has put up high offensive numbers, while Carlo has gained confidence and is not shy about making timely runs when needed.
Derek Forbord-Dmitry Orlov
In last month's defensive rotation, Orlov found himself sliding between both his strengths and weaknesses, rotating between different partners. Here we take it to the right, the Bruins are another mix of home defense and another mix of two-way defense.
That means Forboard will be back at some point in the playoffs. After Montgomery left Thursday's game in Winnipeg, Forbort said he didn't expect to play the rest of the regular season.
If Forbert is out longer than the final 12 games of the regular season, the Bruins could move Orlov with Carlo and use Linholm as a second pairing with Connor Clifton.
Orlov's two-way versatility and forward defensive prowess lends a similar mix to the Lindelholm-Carlo duo. But Orlov and Forbort did not see time together in 5-on-5 situations (22:54). However, Forbort's impeccable penalty kill and defensive prowess and Orlov's three-zone reliability can go hand-in-hand when given the opportunity.
Additions: Connor Clifton and Jacob Zabril
In the match with Orlov in Boston, Jabril rose to the eighth defensive role. He could get more playing time in the final weeks of the regular season. But the 2015 first-round pick will continue to watch from the press room when the second blue coat comes on in mid-April.
The tougher decision here is whether to keep Clifton, a pending UFA, in the offseason.
At the end of last season, Clifton and Forbort formed a great third pair. They were arguably the best team against Carolina in last year's first round.
The Bruins could deploy Clifton in situations. You don't have to deal damage to force him into the lane. Whenever he breaks in, he provides fullbacks with strength and incredible skill in all three zones.
Given his hockey attire in the game, it's not a matter of if Clifton makes the roster, but when.
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
It's clear that any goalkeeper wants to get on the pitch when he gets the chance.
With a Vezina-worthy campaign, Ullmark could score points in Game 1 against the East's second-place wild card team, barring injuries or other unforeseen developments. If Ullmark slides, the Bruins have a strong hand with Swayman as the sub.
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The post What a healthy Bruins roster could look like in the playoffs appeared first on Boston.com.