One way for Boston Bruins fans to quickly forget about Monday’s 5-1 home loss to the Saint Louis Blues is to shift to the more comfortable focus of wondering who will win the team’s annual 7th Player Award later this spring.
As a matter of fact, Monday’s miserable loss — especially after a great 3-0-1 stretch last week in which the Bruins were at the top of their game — might immediately fade into the background for fans who go and vote for who they feel is the most deserving player for the award.
“The 7th Player Award is given each year to the Boston Bruin who has performed above and beyond expectations … (an) unsung hero on the team — the player that works hard every day for the good of the team without any expectation to be recognized,” it reads at NESN.com, the website of the team’s TV broadcaster.
Oh, and there are plenty of players who fit the mold. On the NESN site, there are eight on the ballot for the right to succeed Pavel Zacha, last year’s winner.
It’s safe to say that one of those eight skaters, rookie center Matthew Poitras, who turned 20 on Sunday, is an unlikely 7th Player. After a promising start to the season, he spent a chunk of time with Team Canada at the World Juniors in December before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in February.
Strong Cases for the 7 Others
From this vantage point, arguments can be made for the other seven on the list.
Let’s first take a look at who only partially fits the criteria but could still break through to win it.
One guy, first-line center Charlie Coyle (21 goals, 31 assists, 52 points), has been a productive known quantity since his first full season in Beantown in 2019-20. That string of success might hurt his chances, but in his favor is the fact that he is having a career year with 52 points in 67 games, with his previous-best point total (45) coming a year ago.
Another 7th Player candidate, veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo, is doing his rugged, steady best, as usual, so what he is contributing this season (+22 plus/minus, and third on the team in average time on ice at 20:14) is not a surprise. While Carlo has unquestioned underdog status (where most stay-at-home NHL defensemen reside), he is certainly meeting expectations and not necessarily going above and beyond them.
Carlo, by the way, is a stellar +126 in his 540 career games.
For first-year Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, another player on the ballot, the road to the 7th Player appears to be a steep climb. His very steady play and his toughness in front of the net have gotten him noticed, with many positive remarks coming from fans on social media and pundits in the regular media. But he is not in the lineup all the time, having played just 32 of Boston’s 67 games. Playing on the third defensive pairing, Wotherspoon’s average ice time is a nice 17:48. But he was a healthy scratch the last two games, and his future on a regular shift is in doubt because the Bruins have given eight defensemen regular playing time. They just acquired another blueliner — Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline — and he will likely get a really good look from the team’s brass before the playoffs start.
The 4 Others Fit the Criteria
That leaves four others from the group of eight, all of whom stand a good chance to win it because they have gone above and beyond expectations — centers Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic and wingers Danton Heinen and James van Riemsdyk.
Geekie, who came over from the Seattle Kraken in the offseason, and Heinen, who returned to the Bruins after stints with the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins, are players who have shown they can play on any line and have contributed greatly.
Geekie, perhaps more than the others, climbed above what was originally forecast. For the Kraken a year ago, he had 28 points in 69 games. He now has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 61 games, and he sees time on the power play.
In a feature story about Geekie, The Hockey Writers’ Hannah Garfield had these two nuggets to offer: “He has exceeded all expectations” and “has turned into a really solid middle-six center.“
Heinen (11-14-25) had 47 points in his first year with Boston in 2017-18, so he’s more or less a known quantity. Still, there were questions when he arrived about his ability to fit in this second time around. Simply put, any doubts have been put to rest.
Van Riemsdyk (11-27-38), another newcomer (from the Philadelphia Flyers) who recently played his 1,000th NHL game, has been productive while showcasing some supreme offensive skills. He is fantastic in front of the opponent’s net and is also a mainstay on the power play.
On the downside, van Riemsdyk hasn’t hit the scoresheet in the last five games and has no goals and only one assist in his last 12.
Frederic (17-19-36), meanwhile, is already above the season-high 31 points he tallied for the Bs in 2022-23, but his production has tailed off, too — one goal and two assists in his last 10 games.
When he was on fire earlier in the season, there was a lot of talk about Frederic as the favorite for the 7th Player. He has six multi-point games, including a high of three against Detroit on Dec. 31, and his chances to grab the award will be stronger if he picks up his scoring pace moving forward.
Fans Chime in on Their Favorite to Be the 7th Player
To get a little indication of what fans are thinking, I caught up with three longtime Bs rooters on social media to see who they think is the most deserving. This is definitely not an indication of how other fans see it.
“I’m going with Danton Heinen,” Jan Milton said. “Started the season in Providence. He’s been able to fill in on any line when asked. Good on the PK. Chips in with timely goals.”
Added Paul Grasso, “I’m going with Morgan Geekie. He has brought an unexpected spark and scoring. Love the speed/quickness and his shot. And playing the center position has been badly needed. He is my vote for 7th Player this year.”
Steve Jacobs, who coached Marlborough High School to a state Division 3 hockey championship in 2005 — a team that included Bobby Butler (130 NHL games in stops with the Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers) — gave his thoughts, too.
“My pick this year is Brandon Carlo,” Jacobs said. “He logs over 20 minutes a game and is so dependable on the PK and all defensive situations. The Bruins have been strong in their own end, and he and (Charlie) McAvoy are huge reasons. His +22 is a testament to his strong D. He is tough as well.”
Who Will It Be?
The Bruins have had a 7th Player Award winner since Ed Westfall in the 1968-69 season, and the next one from the eight known candidates is expected to be named in April.
Obviously, the Bruins organization has way more to think about moving toward the playoffs, but for fans, a little look ahead to this annual award is a good exercise to dull the pain of a lackluster loss.
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