Ranking the candidates for the 7th Bruins Player Award

Bruins fans will have their work cut out for them this spring when it comes to voting for the team’s 7th Player of the Year Award, given annually to the player who exceeded expectations during the regular season.

It’s often an exhausting process when it comes to selecting a single player who excelled over the course of an 82-game season, helping Boston’s franchise stars pull the string and power the club at the top.

And with several under-the-radar signings punching above their weight on this revamped roster, there is no shortage of deserving candidates in 2023-24.

Here is our ranking of the top contenders for the 2023-24 7th Player Award in a crowded field.

10. Pavel Zacha

Zacha’s role as a top-six mainstay could hurt his candidacy, given that the 7th Player Award is usually given to the bottom six contributors or other overlooked players. But Zacha deserves a stick for holding his own in his first full season as a top-six center for Boston.

Even with a mid-season lull, Zacha continued to spark chemistry alongside compatriot David Pastrnak. After setting a new career high last season with 57 points (21 goals, 36 assists), the 27-year-old forward is on pace to surpass that mark with 56 points in 74 games. He has also been strong on faceoffs this season at 54.9 percent.

9. Charlie Coyle

Much like Zacha, Coyle’s role as a top-six center hurts his chances a bit when it comes to the 7th Player Award. Still, the 32-year-old forward deserves a lot of credit for exceeding expectations after being given the unenviable task of replacing Patrice Bergeron on Boston’s top line.

A reliable workhorse who averages the most ice time per game (2:32) among Bruins forwards, Coyle set a new career high in goals scored (25) and total points (58). ) already this year.

8. Kevin Shattenkirk

Although he is on the roster this season, the veteran defenseman has also been heralded as a puck-moving player on the blue line. In 58 games, Shattenkirk scored five goals and recorded 22 points – impressive in his reps on Boston’s second power play unit. A solid recovery last summer, considering his $1,050,000 cap hit.

7. Jesper Boqvist

The latest unsung hero to join the Bruins in Saturday’s overtime win over Florida, Boqvist went from being a reject by the Devils to becoming a reliable bottom-six sparkplug for Boston.

Boqvist’s speed and scoring touch have been a welcome addition to the Bruins’ depth chart, with the 25-year-old forward scoring six goals and registering 14 points in 43 games this season. Boqvist could be in contention for third-line reps down the stretch, especially if Jim Montgomery wants to keep him with another speedster in Jake DeBrusk.

6. Johnny Beecher

Of the many Bruins rookies who have cut their teeth in the NHL ranks this year, Beecher has arguably been given the most daunting assignments given his constant dose of minutes in the D zone.

In Beecher’s 420:27 of ice time at 5v5 this season, only 13.3% of his faceoffs have taken place in the offensive zone. But even with many grueling minutes, Beecher has established himself as a key cog on Boston’s fourth line – especially after his second call-up with Boston last month. His ability to win faceoffs in the D zone (54.4%) was essential for this team throughout the streak.

Another rookie, Justin Brazeau, also deserves some credit this season, but he only played in 19 total games for Boston.

5. Parker Wotherspoon

Another little-known free agent in July, Wotherspoon went from an AHL regular to a reliable option on Boston’s blue line in the span of a few months. The 26-year-old plays a simple, meat-and-potatoes game — but that steady, stiff style has added some much-needed grit to Boston’s D corps.

Even with just 37.2 percent of his starts in the offensive zone, the Bruins are outscoring teams, 26-19, in Wotherspoon’s 575:37 in 5-on-5 play this year. His compatriot Andrew Peeke has also produced solid returns playing a similar style to Wothersppon, but with only 11 games played with Boston, we’ll keep him out of the running this season.

4. James van Riemsdyk

One of the early favorites for the 7th Player Award, van Riemsdyk’s candidacy took a hit due to a prolonged decline (one point in the last 18 games). But before that skid, the veteran forward scored 11 goals and 37 points in his first 51 games with Boston.

Van Riemsdyk joined the Bruins on a one-year, $1 million contract last offseason, hoping to give Boston a proven playmaker on the power play. But the 34-year-old winger has done plenty of damage outside of the power play – with his 13 assists in 5-on-5 play tied for second on the team.

3. Frederic Trent

After having had a decisive season in 2022-23, Frédéric demonstrated this year that these previous results were not just a flash in the pan. Frédéric has provided value to the Bruins over the past few seasons with his underrated two-way skills and pugnacious approach.

But the 26-year-old forward has also become a consistent threat over the past two years, setting new career highs this season in goals scored (18) and total points (39). Once considered a solid contributor in a bottom-six role, Frédéric has become an effective playmaker and tone-setter this season with Boston.

2. Morgan Geekie

The Bruins were thrilled when Geekie surprisingly hit the free agent market after Kraken opted not to tender him a qualifying offer. Despite averaging just 10:27 of ice time last season in Seattle, Geekie still recorded 28 points in 69 games.

Just as the Bruins hoped, more reps (15:24 ATOI) led to more production for Geekie in his first season with Boston. In 72 games, Geekie set new career highs with 16 goals and 38 points, while recording 126 hits. Signed through the 2024-25 season for an affordable $2 million annual cap hit, Geekie has fit into almost every line he’s been on since arriving in Boston.

1. Danton Heinen

The Bruins’ nominee for the 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy, Heinen went from training camp candidate to a top-six player in the span of a few months. The 28-year-old forward made the most of his second chance in Boston, earning a spot on the team in the fall and establishing himself as a Swiss army knife in Jim Montgomery’s forward corps.

Heinen has been one of the best rookies in the NHL this season, scoring 16 goals and 35 points while only having a cap hit of $775,000. Among players on standard NHL contracts, Heinen ranks fourth in cost per point, at $22,794, per CapFriendly.

While one would reasonably expect a player like Geekie to be able to flourish in Boston with a solid rise in minutes, I don’t think many Bruins fans expected Heinen to do same part of this team this winter – let alone establish themselves in the top six. circular saw next to Pastrnak and Zacha.