It was an up-and-down season for the Bruins’ blue line, as we saw some steady performances, some bumpy performances, and a few pleasant surprises.
Defensemen are always going to be tricky to rate: you can’t go purely on points, some don’t believe in the merits of on-ice possession metrics, and the eye test can vary dramatically depending on the eyes.
Still, it feels like you can guess where most of these ratings will wind up, just based on the way we talked about certain players over the course of the season.
My guess is that guys like Matt Grzelyck, now off to Pittsburgh, and Derek Forbort will likely not be getting a warm reception from the voters.
Hampus Lindholm, after a career year last year, took a bit of a step back and was more heavily scrutinized than many expected.
Then there’s Brandon Carlo, who in many ways is like a hockey Rorschach test around these parts: everyone who looks at him sees something drastically different.
Is he a steady, stay-at-home defensemen? A player who doesn’t get the most out of his size? Can both things be true? Is that an elephant drinking tea or a hippo wearing a suit?
For positive surprises, Mason Lohrei will likely be a standout. He has quickly gone from “boy, another reach of a draft pick” to a guy who will be considered a permanent AHL graduate and an NHL regular, if he’s not there already.
To me, Andrew Peeke was also a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t alone in being skeptical of his acquisition at the deadline, but he proved himself to be a valuable minutes-eater down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Defense is usually where we see the biggest swings in ratings, and I doubt this year will be much different.
