#Boston Bruins

#Boston Bruins

The handful of young players that were perceived to be fighting for the one or two open jobs did not do much to secure a position on the Bruins roster on Thursday in Washington. But one player who was almost an afterthought to this point showed up in a big way in the B's 3-1 win over the Capitals. And Joonas Korpisalo played like a goalie who wants more playing time than he got llast year.

Last season, there were plenty of opportunities for regression, given what occurred during the 2023-24 season. Almost every player in last year's article regressed in a meaningful way. Auston Matthews, Sam Reinhart, Jonathan Marchessault, Zach Hyman and the Vancouver Canucks regressed in their own significant ways from the previous season. That's not to say they won't bounce back this season.

Peeke was taken in the second round (34th overall) in 2016 by the Blue Jackets. After a three-year collegiate career at Notre Dame and some time in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, Peeke became a regular in the Jackets' lineup, playing 82 and 80 games in 2021-22 and 2022-23. But after falling out of favor in Columbus, he was traded to the B's for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick at the 2024 trade deadline.

But Pavel Zacha, drafted by the Devils sixth overall in 2015 as a centerman but has bounced between pivot and wing throughout his career, looks at his versatility more as a blessing than a curse. He just wants a little heads-up for what's expected of him. That has been the case for Zacha in his first three seasons as a Bruin.

"I take a lot of pride in it," said Eyssimont. "It's a big part of my game. And it's not just grit and tenacity that gives me that kind of reputation. It's the skill that I play with that is a pain the ass, the plays that I make are a pain in the ass. Obviously, there are times when I get under a player's skin but a lot of times that, if you watch the film, it's because of the plays that I made and being on guys, turning pucks over and knowing how to play."

As the Great Retool now begins for the Bruins, GM Don Sweeney did not duck the fact that with the way this roster is constructed, offense at times will have to be "by committee." But if the B's are are to have any kind of success, there are certain players who will have to produce. David Pastrnak is one of them, of course, as are presumptive linemates Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm.

I can't feel anything other than grateful [and] fortunate to have played for the Boston Bruins for 6 years,

I want to play until I get kicked out of the league.