After one season playing for HC Olomouc in his native Czechia, during which he racked up 20 goals and 46 points through 51 games, Krejci returned to the Bruins on a team-friendly one-year, $1 million deal in August. At 36 years old, Krejci is getting up there in age, but as long as he's able to stay healthy, he shouldn't have any trouble picking up double-digit goals and 45-plus points in 2022-23, making him a solid depth option from a fantasy perspective.
Krejci returned to earth in 2019-20 following his 73-points surge in 2018-19, but he was still a productive player for the Bruins and fantasy players alike, totaling 13 goals, 30 assists and 14 power-play points while skating in a top-six role and seeing time on Boston's second man-advantage unit. The 34-year-old's role and ice time have both remained remarkably consistent over the past three campaigns, and there's no reason to believe that will change in 2020-21, as he's once again expected to center the Bruins' second line while seeing plenty of action on his team's second power-play squad. Krejci's has had some injury issues in recent years, but if he's able to stay healthy, he's still more than capable of posting around 15 goals, 45-50 points and double-digit power-play points over the course of a full season, making him a worthwhile addition in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts.
Krejci, who missed just one regular-season game last season, is coming off a quietly efficient campaign in which he notched 20 goals while matching his career-high of 73 points. The 33-year-old, who is under contract with the Bruins through the 2020-21 season at a $7.25 million cap hit, will be entrenched as a top-six forward and power-play contributor for the team as long as he can stay healthy. While not the Bruins' swiftest skater up front, Krejci's calling cards remain excellent vision, silky hands and creative playmaking ability. This coming season he'll continue to center the Bruins' second line, with Jake DeBrusk slated to work on his left wing and a player to be named later in line to skate on his right side.
Krejci, who recorded 17 goals and 44 points in 64 regular-season contests in 2017-18, picked up the pace a bit in the playoffs, recording three goals and 10 points in 12 games. The 32-year-old is under contract with the Bruins through the 2020-21 season at a virtually unmovable $7.25 million cap hit, so he's entrenched as a top-six forward and power-play contributor for the team for the foreseeable future. Nagging injuries can be a concern for Krejci at times, but when healthy, the smooth-skating pivot's calling cards remain excellent vision, soft hands and crafty passing skills -- traits that serve him well in his role as the team's second-line center.
Krejci has elevated his game in the playoffs before, but he’s never been a point-per-game producer in the regular season; that said, last year's 54 points and career-worst minus-12 rating were undoubtedly a disappointment for his fantasy owners. Still, the 31-year-old Czech remains a highly skilled pivot whose soft hands, vision and patience with the puck make him a valued scorer for the Bruins. Although that plus-minus represented the worst mark on the team, Krejci is highly capable of bouncing back if the team can flank him with a right winger capable of burying his crafty setups. After making it through the full 82-game slate unscathed, Krejci -- no stranger to the training room -- was bitten by the injury bug in the postseason. On the plus side, he should be past the knee issue that slowed him and is further removed from an the left hip procedure he underwent in April of 2016, so he shouldn't be limited as the 2017-18 campaign commences.
Krejci, who turned 30 in April, finished up last season with 17 goals and 63 points in 72 games played while recording a plus-4 rating. He’s currently bouncing back from a procedure on his left hip that he underwent back on April 25. It’s been reported that Krejci’s left hip bothered him for the last 20 games or so of the 2015-16 campaign, with the issue said to be related to an injury that he dealt with in the 2014-15 season. Moreover, it’s worth noting that Krejci underwent the same type of surgery on his right hip six years ago. All that said, there’s been nothing to suggest that the procedure will impact Krejci’s status for the 2016-17 season, and assuming a full recovery, he should be poised for a bounce-back campaign as long as the sort of nagging injuries that have slowed him of late don’t resurface. Signed through the 2020-21 season, while carrying an annual $7.25 million cap hit, Krejci remains locked into a top-six role with the B’s and in line to see plenty of power play ice time. If healthy, the crafty playmaker has enough talent to score at a point-per-game clip, though to date, that’s a rate of production he’s only been able to hit once at the NHL level, when he notched 26 points in 22 playoff contests in 2012-13.
It’s buy-low time on Krejci following a frustrating campaign in which the crafty center was hampered all year by injuries that limited him to 31 points in 47 games. That’s not the sort of production expected from a player who carries a $7.25 million cap hit for six more years, and with the Bruins having shuffled the deck up front this offseason, it’s critical that Krejci gets and stays healthy in advance of the 2015-16 campaign. When he's on, Krejci profiles as a highly skilled pivot who possesses tremendous hands, vision, and patience with the puck -- traits that make him a first-rate setup man. Although Krejci will no longer have the bruising Milan Lucic patrolling his left wing, top-six work and ample power-play duty remain in the cards for the 29-year-old center. The wild card here is who Krejci will skate with, but newcomer Matt Beleskey is a sharpshooting left winger, and he would seem a natural fit to ride shotgun with the center. In addition, second-year man David Pastrnak is a candidate to man Krejci’s right wing, and if he’s up for the challenge of top-line duty, the skilled duo could prove to be a very productive combo. While Krejci has yet to score at an elite clip during the NHL regular season, we’ll continue to maintain that he boasts tantalizing point-per-game upside when he’s healthy and working with suitable linemates. It remains to be seen if this is finally the year that Krejci takes his production to the next level, but assuming improved health, he’s destined for a bounce-back of some sort at the very least.
Krejci, who the Bruins signed to an extension in September that will keep him around through 2020-21, finished last season as the Bruins’ leading scorer, with 19 goals, 69 points and a league-high plus-39 rating in 80 games. While Krejci’s offensive skills are top shelf, to date, he has yet to score at an elite clip during the NHL regular season, in large part due to the Bruins’ typically balanced attack. Still, while manning the middle on the team’s top line and seeing power-play duty, he remains a highly-skilled setup man who possesses tremendous hands, vision and patience with the puck. Krejci, who can be a streaky player, still possesses tantalizing point-per-game upside and thus retains fantasy utility -- moreso in leagues where his plus/minus numbers factor in more than his limited PIM (28 last season). While 30-goal scorer Jarome Iginla is no longer a Bruin, his place on the right wing of Krejci’s line is now slated to be filled by the capable Loui Eriksson.
Krejci, who racked up 33 points in 47 regular season games in 2012-13, took things to the next level in the playoffs, notching 26 points in 22 postseason contests. While Krejci has yet to score at an elite clip during the regular season, he remains a highly-skilled setup man who possesses tremendous vision and patience with the puck, with the soft hands necessary to deliver tape-to-tape feeds in traffic. This season he is slated to skate on a line with a pair a power forwards who also posses touch -- Milan Lucic and Jarome Iginla. It’s an intriguing combo to say the least. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Krejci can be a streaky player, but if he ever finds the next level of consistency within the Bruins’ balanced attack, he has 90-100 point upside.
While his 62-point output in 79 regular season games last season isn’t dazzling, when he is on, Krejci is a highly skilled setup man who possesses patience with the puck and the soft hands to deliver crisp passes in traffic. After leading the postseason in both goals (12) and points (23) during the Bruins’ 2010-11 Stanley Cup run, perhaps more was expected of Krejci in 2011-12, but he’s part of a very balanced attack and can be a streaky player. Still, if Krejci ever finds the next level of consistency, he has 90-100 point upside.
His 62-point output in 75 regular season games was solid enough, but to anyone paying attention it's obvious that Krejci is a gifted setup man who possesses patience, soft hands and 90-100-point upside. After leading the postseason in both goals (12) and points (23) he's no longer going to fly under the radar, however, so don't expect any bargains on draft day.
Krejci finished the 2009-10 season in a tie with Patrice Bergeron for the Bruins' scoring lead with 52 points in 79 games. Production-wise, that was a step down from his previous season (73 points), but Krejci still has big-time upside as a playmaker. His importance to the team was illustrated when the Bruins -- who found themselves up 3-0 in their playoff series with the Flyers -- went into a free-fall (eventually losing the series) after he went down with a dislocated wrist that required surgery. Krejci expects to be ready to go when training camp opens in September, and the B's can only hope at 100 percent, as his soft hands and deft touch are keys to his game. For now, he slots in as the team's No. 2 playmaking center behind Marc Savard, but his veteran counterpart may be dealt for cap reasons and if that happens it could lead to added responsibility/production for Krejci, who is quite capable of putting up a point-per-game pace, or more.
Despite playing all of the 2008-09 season with an impingement that required surgeons to shave part of his hipbone, Krejci still managed a breakout 73-point effort on top of a league-high plus-37 rating. For that, he was awarded a three-year, $11.25 million deal, a move that shows how confident the Bruins are that Krejci’s hip will not be an ongoing issue. In fact, he didn’t rule out being available for the team’s Oct. 1 opener. A year wiser and presumably more mobile following the repairs, Krejci has the upside to approach the 100-point mark in 2009-10, given his outstanding vision, patience and puck distribution skills.
The 27 points he scored in 56 games are misleading, as Krejci did not light the lamp until his 36th game. He didn't really start flashing his skills until a top line opportunity presented itself late in the season when Marc Savard went down with a back injury. When given more responsibility, Krejci showcased his soft hands and superior vision, in particular on the power play. He has rare patience with the puck for a youngster and as long as he gets the ice time, he could make a fantasy impact this year. At the very least, he is nice endgame pocket pick that could be very productive in stretches this season.
Krejci has a good chance to win a roster spot with the Bruins this year, especially after the team traded Petr Kalus to Minnesota in June. Krejci led the AHL's Providence Bruins in scoring last season, both in the regular season and the playoffs, and finished third in scoring among AHL rookies. He's a highly skilled playmaker with great hockey sense and very soft hands. Right now, he would line up as the team's No. 4 center, although he could be wind up centering the third line if Phil Kessel gets moved to the wing. Either way, don't expect him to see a lot of ice time this season, but he should play a bigger role as time goes by.
Krejci is a gifted playmaker who'll spend this season in Providence. He's a longer-term project so simply monitor his progress for now.
