BOSTON -- The Bruins have built a big, strong and tall roster heading into the 2024-25 season, and it starts on the backend of the ice.
Boston's defense is not only looking scary good, but the Bruins are literally huge on the blue line. Just take a look for yourself:
Charlie McAvoy: 6-foot-1, 209 pounds
Nikita Zadorov: 6-foot-6, 248 pounds
Brandon Carlo: 6-foot-5, 217 pounds
Hampus Lindholm: 6-foot-4, 224 pounds
Mason Lohrei: 6-foot-5, 211 pounds
Andrew Peeke: 6-foot-3, 214 pounds
Parker Wotherspoon: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
"We're very blessed with the D-corp that we have, and we feel it's going to be an incredible strength. We're going to ask a lot of them," Jim Montgomery said after Bruins practice on Wednesday. "I don't think our bottom pairing is going to be like a 14-minute pairing. They're going to be an 18-minute pairing. We think we're going to be able to spread time out and really go at people wave after wave. There's going to be some manipulating D-pairings just based on who we're playing at times."
With Montgomery having the ability to roll all three pairings during any situation in a game, the Bruins' defense might just be the best it's been in years.
The Bruins will get their first game-action look at a McAvoy-Zadorov pairing Thursday night when the Black and Gold take on the New York Rangers. Montgomery said he hopes the duo can shake off some rust and see how they will look in every situation, in all three zones, as Boston's top pair.
Given how the two defensemen play, they are expected to be pure menaces to opposing players. Zadorov's willingness to hit anyone in his path, along with his puck moving ability, should complement McAvoy's game, giving McAvoy more offensive opportunities and freeing him up to be more aggressive in all three zones.
