For the last 23 years (13 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 24th annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what we take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Viktor Arvidsson, Fabian Lysell, Andrew Peeke, Joonas Korpisalo, Georgii Merkulov

Incoming – JJ Peterka, William Borgen, Connor Clifton

Impact of changes

The Bruins are coming off a season that most people did not expect, but their first-round playoff exit showed that there was still a need for more offensive talent. That was clearly the priority this offseason, and the biggest move was acquiring JJ Peterka from Utah. He had a down year last season, putting up 47 points in 82 games with Utah, but he had previously scored 28 goals and 77 points in 77 games with Buffalo. Boston will likely give him a chance to play on the top line alongside David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, which creates a significant fantasy opportunity and could be one of the biggest reasons to be more optimistic about the Bruins this season. Boston did lose some depth in the process. Viktor Arvidsson is gone after just one season with the Bruins, while Fabian Lysell was moved to Colorado and Georgii Merkulov also signed with the Avalanche after spending most of last season in Providence. In goal, Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the Rangers, opening the backup role for Michael DiPietro. On defense, Boston added Will Borgen, while the return of Connor Clifton should help stabilize the back end. The biggest takeaway is that Boston is trying to move away from relying so heavily on Pastrnak to carry the offense. He is still the centerpiece of this team and there is no getting around that, but adding Peterka gives them another legitimate offensive option. If Peterka can get back to the level of production he showed in Buffalo, this offense could be much more balanced, which would also make Boston's top fantasy players more interesting heading into the season.

Ready for Full Time – James Hagens, Michael DiPietro

Boston needs more offensive talent down the middle, and James Hagens has the playmaking ability to eventually develop into a top-six center. I wouldn’t expect him to step into that role right away with Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm ahead of him this season, but he is definitely one of the rookies worth watching. If he can earn an opportunity alongside some of Boston’s better offensive players, his fantasy value could rise quickly. With Joonas Korpisalo gone, the Bruins also appear ready to give Michael DiPietro a chance to take over the backup role behind Jeremy Swayman. DiPietro has spent the last couple of seasons in the organization and has now put himself in position for an NHL opportunity. Swayman should still handle the majority of the starts, so DiPietro isn’t someone I would target in a standard draft right now. He becomes more interesting in keeper or dynasty leagues, though, and is worth keeping on the radar. Boston should be a decent environment for a backup goalie, especially if Swayman stays healthy and continues to handle most of the workload.

Fantasy Outlook

The Bruins still have David Pastrnak, and that alone gives them a high-end fantasy option. Pastrnak has now recorded at least 100 points in four straight seasons and finished with exactly 100 points in 77 games last season. Peterka gives Boston another legitimate offensive tool to work with. Morgan Geekie exploded for 39 goals and 68 points last season, along with 12 power-play goals and 24 power-play points and both Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm have been serviceable for Boston while providing decent secondary scoring. Hagens could help change the look drastically if he hits the round running, but expecting a 19-year-old rookie to immediately become a major fantasy contributor would be asking a lot. However, if players like Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov and Hagens can make an immediate impact, that changes the outlook of the Boston forward group. Swayman had a solid season, winning 31 games and finishing top five among fantasy goalies. Look for him to keep the Bruins in the mix again. Boston's powerplay quarterback, Charlie McAvoy is always heavily leaned upon, especially in leagues that count blocked shots. He had a career-high 61 points in only 69 games last season, including 23 power-play points, and finished 10th among defensemen in scoring which he should be able to replicate again this upcoming season. Keep in mind his fantasy value is particularly strong in multi-cat leagues. The Bruins are one of the more interesting teams to watch this season because there’s a legitimate path for them to outperform expectations again. They outperformed their fantasy grade last year and made improvements to their fantasy outlook this year, but they still need some of their younger players to take the next step to bring them back into the conversation of an elite offensive team.

Fantasy Grade: B (Last year: C)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.