It’s the beginning of Boston Bruins training camp, and the players are officially on the ice. With their first preseason game being played Sunday against the Washington Capitals, nothing is set in stone for the lineups, but there is light being shed on what head coach Marco Sturm is thinking. Here are some takeaways from Day 3 of camp.
Hampus Lindholm and Andrew Peeke a Potential Pair
If there is one area of the Bruins roster that is locked into place, it’s the blue line. The Bruins have their six defenseman with Charlie McAvoy, Mason Lohrei, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Henri Jokiharju, and Andrew Peeke. When constructing the pairs, there will be some change but also some familiarity.
Let’s start with the familiarity. Zadorov and Jokiharju will be paired back together. They played really well down the stretch to end the season and spent 273 minutes together on the ice. When on the ice, they outscored opponents 12-5, so that’s a good sign. Picking up where they left off will be key going into the 2025-26 season.
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Lohrei skating alongside McAvoy is best for his overall development. Much like when Zdeno Chara was a mentor for McAvoy when he first broke into the league, McAvoy can take that wisdom and be a mentor for Lohrei. Lohrei is steady offensively, and playing with a well-rounded defender in McAvoy can further his development. That leads us to the last pair.
Lindholm and Peeke could be a stable pairing. Lindholm is one of the most versatile defenseman in the league, as he excels in transition and also defending in his own end. Peeke can benefit from that and hone in on his strengths more. The two spent 40 minutes of ice time together during the 2023-24 season for just 13 games. They finished with a 46.7 expected goals percentage, so they were giving up a little more than they were creating. Is this locked into place? Not necessarily. But Sturm likes what he sees and hopes that chemistry can keep building.
The Options for Second Line Center
All eyes will be on the younger players to grab the center positions. The third-line job is very much up for grabs, and the opportunity is there for the taking for Fraser Minten and Matthew Poitras. During a press conference on Friday afternoon, Sturm shed light on what he envisions for the center positions. In fact, Sturm has said that he plans on starting Pavel Zacha out in the center spot rather than the wing. What does that mean for the younger players? Does Casey Mittelstadt slot down to the third line center role? Or does Mittelstadt slot to the wing, where he has played before? He can still use that same speed and playmaking ability from the winger position. There are a lot of choices to make for Sturm, but Zacha back to center is good overall.
Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Zacha is not unfamiliar with being a center for the Bruins. He is a player that has shown to be responsible defensively, while also having offensive upside. During the 2024-25 season, Zacha finished with 47 points, which was his lowest point total since being on the Bruins. However, he is a player who had 50-plus points in his first two seasons. There is a lot of promise with the player and someone who has gotten better in the faceoff circle as well.
Zacha spent the majority of the season with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak. That trio alone generated 2.74 expected goals for per 60 minutes, and they scored 35 as a line. Zacha has always had good chemistry with Pastrnak, but he will likely spend the season with different linemates in 2025-26.
It’ll be very intriguing to see how it goes and who his linemates will be, but Zacha down the middle does make the Bruins a good team.
Preseason Games Await
The Bruins’ preseason games will be a good indicator of what to expect lineup wise. All of the lines and defensive pairs are subject to change, but these are good takeaways from the first few days of training camp. Let the games begin.
