COMPLETE JOKE If Boston Bruins David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman Aren’t Top 100

The locked on NHL’s top 100 list is coming. And if David Pastnak isn’t top 10, we’re doing it wrong. Include Charlie Makavoy and Jeremy Swayman on the list. And I’ve also got two more Bruins that you cannot overlook. You’re Locked On Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. What is up, Bruins fans, and welcome to the Locked On Boston Bruins podcast, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. I’m Ian McLaren, a hockey writer, lifelong Bruins fan. I’ve been covering this team for various outlets for 20 years and I’m the voice bringing you honest, passionate coverage of the black and gold each and every day. Today on the podcast, I’m giving you my Bruins ballot for the locked on NHL’s upcoming top 100 list. My locks are David Postnock, Charlie Makavoy, and Jeremy Swayman. And you can perhaps make borderline cases for Hampus Lindholm and Morgan Geeki. I’m also going to discuss what this tells us about how the Bruins really stack up. Thank you to begin for making Locked on Boston Bruins your first listen every day. Again, it is part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. And today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner. Visit the FanDuel app today and start planning your future bets now. Before we get started, a quick reminder. You can find the podcast on social media, locked NHL Bruins. That’s on XB Blue Sky, Threads, Instagram, Tik Tok. You can find me, my hockey thoughts, and dad jokes, Ian C McLaren. All right, so like I said off the top, the locked NHL network hosts are currently in the process of compiling a top 100 players list. And we were given a spreadsheet which each of the 32 teams and we were uh requested to add who we thought from our respective teams belonged on the list. We were told to include three or four players. Some teams could go up to seven. And indeed, there are some uh franchises that do merit multiple players on this list. The Bruins have, I believe, three players who should absolutely be on the NHL top 100 list right now. Three players in the top 100 is solid, but in today’s NHL, not elite compared to the league’s top tier rosters. That’s 3% of the league’s top players on one roster. Now, the one lock of all locks for the locked on Boston Bruins purposes is David Posrodock, a top 10 player in the NHL. Full stop. And you could even argue top five forward, top winger to be sure. Third in goals over the last three seasons behind only Conor McDavid and Austin Matthews. consistent elite at both five on five and on the power play. In fact, he led the NHL this past season in even strength goals, assists, and points. And his 106 points would have been higher had the Bruins power play been even average. He’s among the league leaders in shots every season. a volume shooter, scorer who creates his own looks and converts at an elite rate. He brings both consistency and gamebreaking ability. Six straight seasons, over a point per game, now three straight seasons with at least 100 points. He’s the franchise cornerstone who can carry a team offensively in the regular season and the playoffs. And this is no longer a story of a young guy who is being carried by Brad Marshon and Patrice Berseron on the perfection line. This is a guy who drives play, elevates his teammates, and who can carry a team on his back and score a gamewinner against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game seven of the playoffs. uh just one of the great all-time Bruins, a resume that’s expanding each and every year and a guy who you stack him up against the league’s very best and he belongs in that conversation without question. So clearcut, not even top 100, like top 10 at the very least. If he’s not top 10, like I said, we are doing it wrong. I’m making a case for Charlie Makavoy to be a lock as well. The NHL Network put out their top 20 defenseman list yesterday. He was 11th and this came after a year in which he missed a good chunk of the season after being injured at the Four Nations faceoff. He was injured prior to a game in which he leveled both Conor McDavid and Sydney Crosby. He’s among the NHL’s best in defensive zone starts versus elite competition, and he’s still able to drive possess possession at an elite clip. He’s excellent in transition. He moves the puck quickly, joins the rush without sacrificing coverage, and he’s got analyticsbacked impact, consistently top tier in advanced metrics among defensemen. He’s the rare defenseman who can handle a shutdown role and quarterback an effective power play. Now, he is not among the, you know, Quinn Hughes, Kale Mar level of defenseman because he doesn’t put up point per game plus numbers. Uh I think offensively he could hit another gear and perhaps we’ll see that this season. Don’t forget last year he was on the verge of being removed from the top power play unit prior to Hampus Lindome’s injury. But in terms of allaround defenseman and that’s you know Norish trophy consideration used to be more about allound. Now, it’s skewed slightly more towards the guys who put up the elite offensive numbers and who can play effective defensive minutes. Uh, you could argue Makavoy’s strengths are more in his own zone and moving the puck up rather than dangling in the offensive zone and wowing us with his scoring ability. but he’s just a solid all-around excellent defenseman who despite a down season with injuries very much belongs in the top 100 conversation and again even after that down year he was ranked 11th by the NHL network. Now this is where some push back may happen. I’m including Jeremy Swayman on this top 100 list. You know, this past season was obviously a very down year for Jeremy Swayman, and there are a bunch of reasons for that. The protracted contract stalemate last summer, the distraction of coming out and saying he wanted to reset the goalie market, missing training camp, Lenus Allar being moved out, a new goalending partner, and carrying a much heavier load. But if you rewind to the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs where he was carrying the majority of the starts, in fact all of them but one, he was the best goalie in the playoffs in 2024. I think only Joseph Wall had a better save percentage and it was in a much smaller sample size. for his career. He is posting elite goalending numbers and I expect that with a healthy Makavoy His Lindholm with Marco Sturm coming in and instituting his system, this guy is going to have a bounceback year and he’s going to remind us all just how good he is and how good uh he can be night in and night out as Bessie makes an appear. appearance here on the podcast. Now, we saw some glimpses of that at the World Championship. He’s going to be in consideration for Team USA at the Olympics. You could easily argue that he doesn’t belong on this list because of that one down year. He’s still only 26. He’s got prime years ahead, calm under pressure, thrives in tight games, strong rebound control, efficient movement, and I think we’re going to see this kind of top 100 Jeremy Swayman here coming up in 2025, 2026. Top 300 players is nice, but there’s teams that boast a lot more. And we’ll discuss kind of what it means for the Bruins later on in the podcast coming up. The locks are clear, but if Boston’s going to inch closer to that elite group, two more Bruins deserve a serious look. And not at least considering them, I believe, would be a mistake. August 26th is officially FanDuel Futures Day. A brand new holiday for football fans who live for bull predictions and preseason hunches. For just 24 hours, FanDuel is giving you deals on NFL season predictions. So whether you’re calling your MVP, eyeing a long-distance division winner, or ready to crown your Super Bowl champ before week one even kicks off, this is your moment. Crown your champion in August. My pick is the Buffalo Bills. Visit the FanDuel app today. Start planning your future bets now because Futures Day is one day, one day only, August 26th at FanDuel, where you can play your game. Thank you so much once again for making Locked On Boston Bruins part of your daily routine. Everydayers will have already subscribed on their favorite podcasts, apps, or on YouTube. if you haven’t done so already, please hit that subscribe button so that you never miss an episode. All right, so we have three locks so far. David Posock, Charlie Makavoy, and Jeremy Swayman, but two more I believe deserve some consideration, and leaving them off would be a mistake. They might not be obvious choices, but the numbers and the context say they at least belong in the conversation. And I’m going to begin on the blue line with Hempus Lind. A few years ago, even a couple years ago, he had some Norris votes elite defensive metrics and he was a guy that the Bruins have very much come to rely on. You look back at 2024 25 and you see how they struggled without him in the lineup and you see how valuable a guy like Hampers Lindome is to the Boston Bruins. He can move the puck with great efficiency. He has a quieter game than some of the more elite defenseman in the NHL. injuries certainly diminished his profile. He wasn’t even one of the main guys to have been picked for the um team Sweden, the initial two or three defenseman that were made on that roster, but he still very much deserves uh consideration for being among the league’s best defenseman and best players. Yes, he’s already 31 years old. Yes, he went from 53 points in 2022 23 to 26 points uh in 2023 24 and then only seven points in 17 games this past season. injury certainly affected him, but he is vital to this Boston Bruins team and there’s no denying that he remains one of the top goalies in sorry, top defenseman in the National Hockey League. Now, when we’re talking about Morgan Geeki, he is kind of an emerging force for this team. Obviously, he had the 33 goals this past season and just an incredible breakout story in 2024-25 leaguewide. Sees a bigger role and he thrived. Career-high production in goals and points while maintaining strong underlying possession metrics. He brings versatility, can play center or wing, effective in both offensive and defensive zone starts, add some physicality without sacrificing skill, and he’s also clutch. He scored key goals in tight games, showing the kind of sit situational impact coaches value. He’s still only 27. He’s in his prime and could build on last season’s jump if he pushes towards 25 plus goals. 30 goals again while keeping his defensive game. He becomes a fringe top 100 name in that 90 to 100 range. That would be a very fast rise. 18 months ago wouldn’t have even been on the radar for a list like this. Yes, he had an elevated shooting percentage that’s likely to regress. But again, even if he stays in that 25 point range, proves he can hang with David Post, then um he’s a guy that could be in that bubble or at least an honorable mention zone here when we’re talking about the top 100 players. So again, Lindholm when healthy, one of the NHL’s most complete defenseman. His 2022 23 season was outstanding. Of course, hard not to be looking prime in that record-breaking season for the Boston Bruins. Plus 49 Norris Trophy votes. Elite defensive zone numbers. 25 minutes a night some nights per game against top competition. He’s got a very strong transition game. Can carry the puck out of danger. clean first passes and the ability to join the rush without leaving his partner stranded. Now, last year’s struggles were of course tied to injury, fractured kneecap, he had some injury issues the year before when he’s not at 100% like anybody. His impact drops and that’s why uh the past two seasons somewhat hurt his reputation. But if he can return to even close to that 2022 23 form, he’s a clear top 100 candidate, especially in a league that undervalues strong defensive play compared to flashy point totals. The main question is, can he stay healthy enough this season to remind people that he is a top pair cornerstone? So looking at it all together, the Bruins have three definitive top 100 players. And again, you can argue against Makavoy or Swayman, but I believe they still warrant consideration. Two more who could join them if all things go well. I’m not saying they should be on this list right now, but if we’re talking in one year and Lindholm and Geeky play according to what we know that they can be, then they could be in the conversation. When you compare that to the league’s most stacked rosters, however, it kind of reveals exactly where Boston stands, and we’ll discuss that here as the podcast continues. Let’s say you just discovered that your business needs to hire someone like yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? It’s easy. All you have to do is use Indeed. When it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other sites. Indeed’s sponsor jobs put your post at the top of the page and help you reach the right candidates faster. I’ve been in that spot where you need the right hire like yesterday. The pressure is on. Every day without the right person is a setback. That’s exactly when Indeed’s sponsored jobs come in handy. They make sure your post is seen by the right candidates right now. Now you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 sponsored job credit. Just go to indeed.com/lockedon right now. Support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on locked on Boston Bruins. Terms and conditions apply, but if you’re hiring, Indeed is all you need. All right. So, in assessing the top 100 players in the NHL, the Boston Bruins have three definitive locks with some high-end talent. Guys that any team around the NHL would want on their roster. I I don’t care who you are. You want a David Poshock. You want a guy like Jeremy Swayman who has still the majority of his career ahead of him and who can and should and will be an elite level goalender moving forward. Charlie Makavoy is the kind of player with a motor that all teams would also covet. So they have an elite piece at forward, defense, and in goal. And that’s pretty nice in a vacuum. But let’s be honest, real contenders are kind of rolling out more top 100 players than the Boston Bruins. And in some cases, five, seven top 100 caliber players. As I mentioned, we had the option to put, you know, three players in there up to seven or eight. And some rosters have gone that way. Like I decided to go with Poshock, Makavoy, and Swayan. But the Carolina Hurricanes, you could make an argument for Sebastian Aaho, Jacob Slavin, Seth Jarvis, Nikolai Eers, Andreetchnikov. You could even consider Logan Stankin and Peter Kachchov. Uh teams like the Edmonton Oilers, McDavid dryid, Zack Heyman, Evan Buchard, Ryan Nent Hopkins, Colorado Avalanche, Nathan McKinnon, Kale Mar uh among the clear candidates there, uh with some other elite talent to build around as well. Martin Nas, Valerie Nushkin, Devin Taves, Arturi Lechin, Mackenzie Blackwood, Tampa Bay, Nikita Kudraov, Victor Hedmond, Jay Gensel, Andre Vaselvki, Brandon Hegel, Braden Point, Anthony Cerelli, uh, the Wild have a bevy of players. The Dallas Stars, uh, even the San Jose Sharks put four players on here. Mlin Celibbrini, William Ecklan, Will Smith, Tyler Tafoy. Like there is just a bunch of teams with some pretty stacked talent. Not to mention, of course, the Florida Panthers who just won the Stanley Cup and you could argue seven players to go on there as well. These rosters have elite depth and they’re not relying on one or two stars to drag them through a series, drag them through the regular season. And that’s where the Bruins roster still feels one, two, maybe even three steps behind. Boston’s path to that echelon is adding another true top 100 level skater while also hoping that Lindholm or Geeki can push into that t tier with big years. Without those extra difference makers, it’s hard to match the firepower and balance of not only the NHL’s top five or six teams, but also teams like the Ottawa Senators who have Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutela, Brady Kachchuck, Lenus Olmark in net. Uh even Detroit, you have Dylan Larkin, Moider, Lucas Raymond, Alex Debrink. In the Atlantic division alone, there are numerous teams that can put forth deeper rosters than the Boston Bruins. Even the Montreal Canadians, Nick Suzuki, Cole Cfield, uh, Uric Lakovski, Noah Dobson, Patrick Line, Ivan Demidov, like the Bruins literally have one forward in the top 100. You could argue that Morgan Geeki should warrant some consideration, but the fact is while they have this solid core of Makavoy, Swayman, and Posterno, the depth just really isn’t there. Uh, and the Bruins will once again struggle because of the fact that they don’t have one or two extra guys that are among the very best in the NHL. Um, now James Haggins could very much be in that conversation in a couple years, but right now he’s going back to BC. Right, you have not really anybody in the pipeline other than him that could and should be on this list anytime soon. As much as we would love to see Fabian Lysel, Georgie Murculov, Fraser Minton, Morat Nudinov pop, none of these guys are likely going to crack the top 100 anytime soon. So, when we put it all together, the Bruins have three undeniable top 100 players. two more with a real shot to break through if all goes well this upcoming season, but a clear need to add at least one more elite piece if they want to not just stand alongside the NHL’s most stacked teams, but to get back into playoff contention. It’s a reminder that while Boston still has star power, the path back to true contention will be defined by how quickly they can close that talent gap. They have to get more also out of Elias Lindholm who’s being paid like a top 100 player, Nikita Zadorov who’s being compensated as a top defenseman. Whether guys like Hampus Lindholm and Morgan Geeki can force their way into that conversation this season remains to be seen, but you have to have some other guys pushing up as well. Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov are core members of this team now and they have to represent themselves as such both on and off the ice to complement the core that they have in Swayman Makavoy and uh David Poshock. So, Makavoy, Poshak, Swimman, Locks, Lindholm, Geeky in the mix. Share your Bruins top 100 picks in the YouTube comments or on X Blue Sky threads at locked NHL Bruins. Again, don’t forget to follow, subscribe for daily Bruins coverage. Tomorrow on the podcast, we are going to be talking to Mike Kamito, who is the author of the upcoming book Bruins 365. Uh Mike is a hockey historian, and I’m very excited to chat with him about his upcoming book and what we can expect from it. In the meantime, again, don’t forget to hit me up in the comments with your thoughts on my three locks, your thoughts on my two that deserve consideration, and the apparent talent uh deficiency on this Bruins roster that’s going to keep them from challenging for a playoff team, a playoff spot. If they can’t get high-end production out of Hampus, Elias Lynhome, Nikita Zadorov, I didn’t even mention Mason Lauri. Perhaps he’s a guy that could enter this conversation with a breakout year offensively as well as improved defensive play as well. Do you think he belongs in consideration? Probably not yet. Those three guys for sure. Two more seemingly on the verge. Where will we be in one year from now with consideration to this list? The locked on top 100 I think is about a month away. So we will break it all down and see where the voting lands and if my locked on NHL network colleagues agree with me that at least these three should be on the list. All right, that’s it for today’s episode, my friends. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to hear my conversation with Mike Camo, author of the upcoming book Bruins 365. Please do subscribe on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube if you have not already. Check out for your second listen the Locked On NHL podcast. No offseason around here. We’re bringing you daily leaguewide stories that matter most with local coverage you love from Locked On. Find Lockdown NHL on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please do take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and we’ll talk to you again here on the next episode of Locked On Boston Bruins.

The Locked On NHL Top 100 list is coming — and if it doesn’t include these Boston Bruins, the rankings are broken. David Pastrnak is a Top 10 player in the league, Charlie McAvoy is a top defenseman, and Jeremy Swayman is (still) one of the NHL’s best goalies. Those three are locks.

But what about Hampus Lindholm and Morgan Geekie? Ian McLaren makes the case for why both deserve consideration based on recent performance, impact, and upside — and why leaving them out could be a big mistake.

We’ll also compare Boston’s elite talent to other top NHL teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Tampa Bay Lightning — clubs that could have 5+ players on the Top 100 list. What does this say about the Bruins’ roster, their ability to contend in the Atlantic Division, and the moves Don Sweeney still needs to make?

This is your definitive Bruins ballot for the Locked On NHL Top 100, with in-depth analysis, stats, and context that you won’t get anywhere else.

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