Morgan Geekie acquisition paying off in big way for Bruins
Physicality, versatility has led to success for forward.
It seemed like a gift when the Bruins signed Morgan Geekie on the opening day of free agency in the previous summer.
Fans are only now realizing how valuable that present really is.
Geekie has been an important addition for the Bruins. He was signed by the team after being unexpectedly rejected by the Seattle Kraken following his finest season (9-19-28 totals, plus-14) as an NHL player. He is among the newcomers who have contributed to turning the Bruins’ season from one that was merely a transition into something more.
In 40 games for the B’s, he’s produced 8-15-23 totals while averaging 15:18 of ice time, a career high. And lately it looks like he’s found a role in which he can make the biggest impact, centering a third line with wings Trent Frederic and Jakub Lauko for the last three games, all quality wins.
Geekie takes pride in his versatility. Wherever the Bruins have asked him to play – and he’s seen everything from fourth line duty to centering one of the NHL’s superstars in David Pastrnak – Geekie’s been able to make positive contributions.
However, his most recent line has made the team’s forward depth even more formidable for opponents to stop. When the three invaded the offensive zone and scored the game’s opening goal on Monday, they gave the Winnipeg Jets, the NHL’s finest defensive unit, the appearance of the Keystone Cops.
Additionally, the line adds a physicality that the B’s have been lacking. With a game-high six hits, Geekie powered the Jets to a 4-1 victory. Taking the puck to the net late in the third period, he helped put the game away by setting up Jake DeBrusk’s shorthanded insurance goal.
A good night’s work overall.
Geekie initally caught coach Jim Montgomery’s eye early on when he was part of the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him in the third round in 2017.
“I thought he was really good when he got first called up in Carolina. I thought, there’s a guy who has a nose for the net,” said Montgomery. “I kind of lost him in Seattle. I know he was good against us in the game in Seattle.
But our pro scouts do a great job and he’s someone they were hoping would become available and he did. Great job by (GM Don Sweeney) and his staff of going to get him. Obviously, he’s done great work for us. He’s really helped us have three lines, no matter where we use him. I think he is someone who is just scratching the surface of what he can. I think he’s a guy who can be a 20-goal scorer for us.”
For someone deemed expendable by two organizations, Geekie possesses a lot of qualities that are valued in the game. He’s got decent size (6-3, 202 pounds). He skates well. He goes to the hard areas of the ice. And he’s got a heavy shot that has earned him some power play time.
Geekie hopes to make Montgomery a prophet.
“I was confident about my game, for sure,” said Geekie. “A lot of (success) is just opportunity in this league and you have to earn that. But I felt like I knew what I could do coming in and whatever role I was going to play here I was going to be happy doing it. But to contribute offensively, that’s always something I’ve liked to do. I think I think the game really well, too, so to be able to develop into that kind of player is something I’d love to do, for sure.”
The new line certainly seems like one that’s made for Geekie’s hard-driving attributes. Montgomery sees Geekie and Frederic building a chemistry much like Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle have.
“We’ve had some success on the scoresheet but I think we’ve been playing well at both ends of the rink and that’s translated for us,” said Geekie. “We have every different flavor on that line and it’s good. I think we play off each other. We bring a lot of different facets and we play a lot of different ways and we play fast. We want to build on that.”
Geekie appreciates both of his previous stops. The Canes, whom the B’s face for the first time this year on Wednesday, drafted him and gave him his first opportunity. And he felt going to Seattle helped him grow even further.
However, he said that he had mixed emotions upon hearing that the Kraken would not qualify him.
“I had a great time in Seattle with the guys,” Geekie stated after agreeing to a two-year contract worth $2 million per year with the Bruins. “During the first year of the expansion team, we all joined together and gradually got closer as a group. Even though two years might not seem like much, things move quite rapidly when a team is formed for the first time.
A change of location is never easy, especially when it involves your family. There were also close pals of mine on that team. However, thus far, it has shown to be beneficial for me. At the end of the day, it’s all business, and sometimes, regrettably, that’s just how the cards fall.
And it appears like the B’s have struck gold with Geekie right now.
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