The expansion draft for the Las Vegas Golden Knights is fast approaching which means it’s crunch time for the Bruins to decide who to protect.
The biggest area of concern is who to expose on defense. Torey Krug is far too talented to expose and Zdeno Chara has a no movement clause. This leaves the Bruins one more player to protect, with Adam McQuaid, Collin Miller and Kevan Miller being the likeliest candidates. Despite being a good veteran presence, McQuaid’s inconsistency and age make him the likeliest to be exposed.
This leaves the two Millers that the Bruins would have to choose between.
The Case for Kevan Miller:
Kevan is older than Collin and thus has more experience, this could be beneficial heading into another potential postseason run. If the Bruins want to win sooner rather than later, then a veteran presence would be the way to go.
Kevan Miller’s play also seemed to improve after Bruce Cassidy took over as head coach, and given that Cassidy’s system is sticking around, this is a good sign for Kevan’s ability to help the Bruins moving forward.
The Bruins would also have better trade value in Kevan than they would with Collin.
Collin Miller’s development is currently a question mark with very inconsistent play during the 2016-2017 season. Additionally, protecting Collin would potentially leave the Bruins with a lot of young defenseman who may not be one hundred percent prepared for the NHL level.
The Case for Collin Miller:
Protecting Collin Miller is definitely the riskier option, but the potential upside would be fantastic.
Collin Miller is young and if he develops, they have a quality defenseman in the long run. This is especially appealing because the Bruins have several young defenseman, and if they all pan out, their blue line could become a force to be reckoned with in a couple of seasons.
Collin struggled to find consistency, but if he stabilizes, he can help the Bruins on both ends of the ice. Collin managed to generate some chances offensively, finding the back of the net six times. He also had seven assists.
Which Miller would you keep?
