By Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent

Training camp has begun and opening night is less than a month away, so here are some general questions for Bruins fans to ponder heading into the 2009-10 campaign:

What becomes of Phil Kessel?

Contract negotiations with Boston’s lone 30-goal scorer remain at an impasse. Kessel was already slated to miss significant time recovering from shoulder surgery, but one has to wonder if his future beyond that lies outside of Boston–especially considering the lack of available cap space and the upcoming free-agent mess in 2010 (Lucic, Savard, Wheeler and Stuart will all be seeking new contracts). 

While Kessel would be a substantial loss–he potted 36 goals despite missing 12 games last season–his departure wouldn’t go uncompensated. As a Group II restricted free agent, he could potentially walk in exchange for a first, second and third-round draft pick should the Bruins refuse to match an offer sheet from elsewhere. Management also has the option of trading Kessel’s rights, which may be the route of best interest since the return package can be negotiated–if, say, Boston is seeking a current player in lieu of/alongside draft picks.

How will the new faces fit in?

Steve Begin was a menace to the Bruins during his time in Montreal, but he’s the type of player anyone would want on their side, providing plenty of grit and energy on the fourth line. Aside from Begin there aren’t any new forwards of note, although a healthy Marco Sturm will be a welcome sight. Much like Bergeron’s return last season, Sturm’s presence is akin to having added another forward in the offseason.

On the defensive end, signing Derek Morris at 3.3 million for one year raised plenty of eyebrows. Morris, coveted for his puck-moving ability, hasn’t cracked the 30-point barrier since 2002-03 and is a career minus player. He’ll need to do better than that in order to justify his lofty contract, but there’s no doubt he could provide the skill and acuity with the puck that Bruins’ defenders frequently lacked against Carolina. 

Which players should we keep an eye on?

I’m particularly interested to watch Hunwick, Wheeler, and Bergeron play this season. The pressure will be on Hunwick and Wheeler to avoid the so-called “sophomore slump,” but Hunwick’s combination of poise and offensive instinct could aid him in breaking the 40-point barrier over a full slate. Wheeler wore down as the season progressed, but rumor has it that he worked out extra-hard in the offseason, which bodes well for continued improvement and more consistent play. 

Aside from last year’s rookies, Bergeron is the real wild card. I’m unsure of whether or not he can return to form as the prominent scorer he was just a few years ago, but I often forget that he’s only 24. A strong start to the season offensively would be key in putting him back on his feet as a potential 30-to-40-goal scorer to complement his steady defensive presence. I think he’ll put at least 20 in the net this season; in my opinion, anything more would be gravy.

In terms of potential rookie contributors, young centermen Zach Hamill and Joe Colborne have been highly regarded as future impact players, but neither appears ready to make a splash in the NHL just yet. And Boston’s most prolific prospect, goaltender Tuukka Rask, isn’t likely to unseat the reigning Vezina Trophy winner anytime soon.

What’s the outlook for division rivals?

The soap opera that is the Montreal Canadiens can expect plenty of media scrutiny in the aftermath of a disappointing season. Or should I say, a centennial season in which hockey’s most celebrated franchise was expected to win its 25th Cup but instead bumbled its way to an eighth-place finish–only to be humiliated in a four-game sweep by its rival. So farewell, Koivu, Komisarek, and Kovalev, and welcome, Cammalleri, Gionta, and Gomez, to a season of renewed expectations under Montreal’s unforgiving microscope. If everything breaks right, Carey Price still has a chance to be the next Patrick Roy.

Elsewhere in the division, Toronto and Ottawa remain in “rebuilding” stages, so I don’t expect them to keep pace with the Bruins this season. The Sabres are potential spoilers–particularly head-to-head–but I think the Bruins hold a pretty clear advantage both offensively and defensively; the Sabres lack scoring depth and depend too heavily on their goaltending. In my opinion, the Canadiens are once again the main concern.

Lastly, Can the Bruins improve?

The Bruins’ regular season was nothing short of marvelous and will be difficult to replicate, let alone improve upon. Thomas, Krejci, Wideman, Lucic, Wheeler, Hunwick, Kobasew, and maybe even Kessel, will be expected to build on career-best seasons–a notion that isn’t out of the question based on their combined youth. Last season also took a costly physical toll on key players. Krejci and Kessel–should he return–are both expected to miss months of action, so who knows how their play will shape up upon returning. Fortunately, I think the Bruins have the offensive depth to cover for those losses; I just don’t expect another November and December like last year.

But the real issue for me isn’t improvement in the regular season. I fully expect the Bruins to qualify for the postseason whether or not they perform at the same level as last season, so I’d rather they didn’t waste energy padding their record late in the season only to succumb to injuries and sloppy play in the postseason. Their runaway first place finish did nothing to prevent me from feeling sick after leaving Game 7. So hopefully, a tougher mental and physical approach to the upcoming season will prepare them for the battles further along the line that matter most. And these growing pains are to be expected from a young team, so I’m thinking that us Bruins fans have a lot to be pretty excited about in the future.

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