After Franson signs with Buffalo, Bruins' Krug in line for larger role
Bruins fans waited all summer to see if Boston would win the bid for one of the most contested defensemen on the open market: Cody Franson. It would have made sense for the Bruins to sign the blue-liner considering the team never signed anybody capable of replacing traded defenseman Dougie Hamilton.
But on Wednesday night, as news broke that Franson would sign in Buffalo instead, Bruins fans were forced to face the reality that the current names on the blue line depth chart for Boston would be all the team has moving forward barring a trade.
For Torey Krug, the lack of a Franson signing could mean a more prominent role, and the young Krug is already set to prove he deserves a top role as he enters the final year of his contract.
"If there’s a spot open, I’m going to be trying to take it," Krug told the Bruins' website Thursday morning. "And it still goes, it’s the coaching staff’s decision, and management — they’re all going to talk about it — but I’m going to go out there and play the way that I do and look to improve my role within the team."
Krug was one of a few Bruins players who showed consistency from 2013-14 to 2014-15. His point totals in those two years were similar (40 points in 2013-14, 39 points in 2014-15, and Krug's only major drop off was in power play scoring, where he went from six goals in 2013-14 to two goals in 2014-15.
Krug will never be the tall, physical defenseman that the Bruins lost in Dougie Hamilton, but he has shown in the past two years that his speed and play-making ability make him a valuable asset to the team. Whether that earns him a spot on the top pairing or more ice time remains to be seen.
(h/t Boston Bruins)
