Time to speculate on the final 20. My understanding is that there will be 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies. If that is case (note that everyone above the line is whom I consider a lock):
Forwards:
Bucyk
Esposito
Bergeron
Neely
O'Reilly
Middleton
Milt Schmidt
Dit Clapper
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Wayne Cashman
Jean Ratelle
Ken Hodge (Sr)
David Krejci
Toughest omission that could get in over Krejci: Woody Dumart
Close calls but probably not: Brad Marchand, Bobby Bauer, Cooney Weiland, Pastrnak
Comment: It gets difficult naming 10-12, IMO. I'm guessing they will try to balance the different eras, so have 2 from the 1940's, 5 from the 1970's Cup teams, 3 from the late 70s/80s, and 2 from the 2011 Cup team. Krejci is 5th all time among team leaders in games and 9th in points, so I gave him the edge over the others.
Defense:
#4
#77
Eddie Shore
Zdeno Chara
Lionel Hitchman
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Brad Park
Unlikely but possible: Don Sweeney, Dallas Smith, Millbury (ugh)
Comment: This one is by far the easiest part of the roster to fill out. Given that is a tribute to the team's history, the owner of the first number retired by the Bruins, and member of the inaugural 1924-25 team, will probably make it. Eddie Shore always comes up as one of Boston's top 10-20 sports figures. To me, the only possible debate is between Park and Sweeney, if only because of where Sweeney ranks in games played (4th) for the team. IMO, Park should be a lock; after all, he played more games and score more goals and points as a Bruin than as a Ranger and is in the Hall of Fame. Dallas Smith was the often overlooked steady #2 defenseman while playing 860 games for the team. I will be massively irritated if Millbury was to get named for some unknown reason. And the tallest among them was probably the actual MVP of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Goalies:
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Tiny Thompson: 1 Cup, 4x Vezina, 4x All Star, Hall of Fame, 74 career shutouts with the Bruins, 2nd in team in total wins
Frank Brimsek: 2 Cups, 2x Vezina, 8x All Star, Hall of Fame, 35 career shutouts
Gerry Cheevers: 2 Cups, Hall of Fame
Tim Thomas: 1 Cup, 2x Vezina, 2x All Star, Conn Smythe
Tuuka Rask: 1 Cup(*), 2x Vezina, 2x All Star, 52 shutouts (#2)
Comments: The only lock is that the team will consist of one of the first 2 and one of the last 2. Thompson was considered one of the best goalies of his era, while Brimsek was a key cog in those 2 Cup teams, so really hard to pick one. If I was forced, I'll pick Thompson. Cheevers was a fan favorite, and was huge in the 1972 playoffs. But his overall career work pales when compared to the other 4, IMO.
Rask is #1 among the team in minutes played and wins, and 4th in goals against average. If there was justice, he would have won a Cup or 2 as a starter, in which case his selection would be a slam dunk. But it's going to be very hard for the selection committee to ignore the only Bruin beside Bobby Orr to win the Smythe.