Throughout the week, we’ll be looking at the Bruins’ top position battles for the 2014-15 season. Today, in part two, we’ll look at the open spots on the third line. Stay tuned tomorrow as we outlook the candidates for the new “Merlot” line.

The Boston Bruins still have a lot of question marks on the offensive side of the puck with the departure of Jarome Iginla and the unsigned Reilly Smith to name a few.

The third line looks to be reconfigured as Loui Eriksson is the prime candidate to take Iginla’s spot up alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic. With Carl Soderberg opening so many eyes last season, he figures to play on the third line due to Krejci and Patrice Bergeron centering the top two lines.

Let’s take a look at the complete list of candidates for the Bruins third line:

Carl Soderberg (Center): With such uncertainty on this line, Soderberg brings that certainty in the middle. In 73 games last season, Soderberg scored 16 goals and assisted on 32 others. Later on in the season, Soderberg built great chemistry with fellow Swede Loui Eriksson, but with Eriksson likely to be bumped to the first line, Soderberg needs to find that connection with his linemates.

The arrow is pointing up for Soderberg. Since he moved from wing to center in the middle of last season, his numbers started to increase including in the post season. Sure, Ryan Spooner is an option, but with the depth the Bruins have at center right now, Soderberg as their third line center could cause a lot of havoc for opposing teams.

Chris Kelly (Wing): Remember this guy? His season was cut short last year due to a nagging back injury. Only appearing in 57 games for the Black and Gold, Kelly contributed 18 points, but it’s what he does that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet that head coach Claude Julien likes. His back-checking, fore-checking, winning face-offs and being in the right spot at the right time are just a few things Kelly brings to the table. His veteran leadership on this third line could pay dividends for the Black and Gold.

David Pastrnak (Wing): The Bruins haven’t taken a forward in the first round since old friend Tyler Seguin, so there is something special with this kid that management saw. He’s 18 years-old, quick, right-handed and has a knack for the goal. He may be a little undersized, but that will change when he is on a different regimen in the National Hockey League.

Pastrnak is a very skilled player who will be paired with top players according to General manager Peter Chiarelli. Of course, the expectations must be managed, but this kid has a chance to be special no matter who you ask. If Pastrnak can win the puck battles on the walls and move his feet up ice, there is a real chance he can stick as a third-line winger while helping the Bruins produce significantly which has been a real tough thing to do for a third-line under Claude Julien.

The Czech-forward is all about progression. His progression was stopped short when Matt Bartkowski hit him hard into the boards causing him to leave practice with a shoulder injury. It was deemed not serious and Pastrnak should be ready to go on October 8th for the opener should the Bruins choose to put him on the opening night roster.

Daniel Paille (Wing): Another player to keep an eye on for the third line competition may be Daniel Paille. With the absence of Shawn Thornton, the “Merlot” line is no longer so Claude Julien may have a complete make over with his third and fourth lines. Paille brings speed and grit to his game which could translate alongside a player like Carl Soderberg.

Paille may have only had 18 points last season, but his quickness and penalty killing ability is an asset to this Bruins team. It really depends on the health of Chris Kelly and David Pastrnak, but Paille is already in the discussion for a third line spot.

Matt Fraser (Wing): He made his name by scoring the game-winning goal in Game 4 versus the Canadiens in Montreal on a broken foot. Now, he is making more noise as camp comes to a close to have a permanent spot on the roster on the third or fourth line for the Black and Gold.

Fraser was a bright spot for the Bruins last season in the playoffs contributing two points in four games for the big club on short notice and a bad foot. The 6-foot-1, 204-pound winger has skill and loves to shoot. With Soderberg’s vision, Fraser may fit well on this third line if he uses his body and knack for the goal with his net front presence.