The Boston Bruins have had quite the offseason for themselves.
For starters, they fired former head coach Bruce Cassidy, hired Jim Montgomery to take over, and brought back David Krejci.
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the team and their potential, let’s look at where the oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag think they’ll end up.
The last time I wrote about this 2022 Bruins squad, they had -170 odds to make the postseason according to BetOnline. They are now even more likely to do so:
Bruins To Make Playoffs?
Yes -200
No +160
Despite being heavily favored to make the playoffs, the Bruins are just the fourth most likely team to win the Atlantic Division according to BetOnline. Here’s a look at the top 5:
Atlantic Division Winner
Toronto Maple Leafs +165
Florida Panthers +240
Tampa Bay Lightning +300
Boston Bruins +750
Buffalo Sabres +2500
They also have 12/1 (+1200) odds to win the Eastern Conference, and 25/1 (+2500) odds to win the Stanley Cup – both of which are pretty steep odds for a squad that, like I mentioned in the title, is in “Last Dance” mode and looking to capitalize on their experience – not their age.
Here’s what I wrote about where the team stands just a few weeks ago:
Montgomery was the head coach at the University of Denver from 2013-2018, winning a national championship in 2017, and was the Dallas Stars head coach from 2018-2019. He was fired at the beginning of the 2019 season for “a personal behavior issue,” and on January 3, 2020 – checked himself into rehab to deal with alcohol abuse.
By all accounts, Montgomery has cleaned up his act and is excited for a fresh start and chance to coach an original six franchise.
Boston will look to benefit from the return of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in 2022. Bergeron was at the end of his contract last year and did not renew right away as he contemplated retirement, but he ultimately signed a one-year deal to return to the team on August 8th.
On the exact same day, longtime Bruin David Krecji also agreed to a one-year deal with the team as he returned from a year long sabbatical in the Czech Republic.
If Jeremy Swayman can keep it together between the pipes, the old heads can turn into their young selves, and Montgomery can hold the team accountable the way Bruce Cassidy did – then I too expect the Bruins to be a playoff team this coming season.
This endorsement still holds true. Boston has a solid recipe for success, and will have reinforcements in Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy return from injury before seasons end. Though I think they’ll start slow and you’ll be able to find better odds than +2500 after the first month of the season, the Bruins can hit stride at the right time and compete for a Stanley Cup in 2022.
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