Next Thursday, it’s about brass tacks.
Excluding Dennis Seidenberg, who is out another month recovering from back surgery, the preseason featured 14 defensemen vying for seven likely vacancies on the opening-night blueline. Take Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid out as sure-fire Nos. 1-3 for now, and it leaves any combination for four slots from the remaining 11, led by Kevan Miller, Zach Trotman, Joe Morrow, and Colin Miller unless Sweeney makes a much needed deal for experience on the blueline with about $4 million in current cap space.
“For now” includes a question mark for Chara’s availability on opening night, compliments of an upper-body injury in the early going in his first preseason game on September 29.