Hollett, Krug were similar players in different eras

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
In Stan's monthly "Then and Now" feature, he compares Flash Hollett , a prolific offensive defenseman from the 1930s and 1940s who helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup twice, with Torey Krug, a contemporary defenseman whose offensive skills helped keep the Bruins among the NHL's elite for the past few seasons before he opted for free agency and signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 9.

Flash Hollett
was among the NHL's best defensemen in the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s. Among his claims to fame is that he helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1939 and again in 1941. He scored a goal in the series-clinching victory each time.
Torey Krug accomplished a lot with the Bruins more than seven decades later. In 2013, he became the fourth player in team history to score goals in his first two Stanley Cup Playoff games, as well as the first rookie defenseman in NHL history to score four goals in his first five playoff games. He helped the Bruins advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 and 2019.
Though he's small for a defenseman (5-foot-9, 186 pounds), Krug's offensive skills and compete level were among the reasons the St. Louis Blues were willing to sign him to a
seven-year, $45.5 million contract
($6.5 million average annual value).
"Krug, first and foremost, is a competitor," said St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong, who got an up-close-and-personal look at Krug when the Blues defeated the Bruins in seven games in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final to win their first championship since entering the NHL in 1967. "He's got real hockey smarts and a quick stick. He plays to his strengths."
Hollett was 23 and in his second NHL season when he broke out with 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 48 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1934-35 -- big offensive numbers for a defenseman in that era. But Toronto traded him to Boston midway through the 1935-36 season; owner-general manager Conn Smythe later admitted that the trade was a mistake -- especially as Hollett continued to improve.
In "The Trail of the Stanley Cup," author Charles L. Coleman lauded Hollett.
"At Boston he developed rapidly into a superb rushing defenseman under the tutelage of
Eddie Shore
and
Dit Clapper
," Coleman wrote. "Flash was an excellent stickhandler, and before long his goal production began to mount."

Smythe, who had traded Hollett to Boston on Jan. 15, 1936, soon realized that he'd made a mistake. He contacted Bruins general manager Art Ross and offered to buy Hollett back. Ross wasted no time turning him down.
Ross' contemporary counterpart, Don Sweeney, never would have moved Krug had the defenseman not become a free agent after the 2020 playoffs. Krug's value has done nothing but increase since the Livonia, Michigan, native made his
NHL debut on April 3, 2012
.
"Torey impressed me in many ways," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He has all the goods and I predict that -- with his leadership skills -- at some point he'll become a team captain."
While Hollett honed his game to sharpness under Shore and Clapper, Krug's game improved as he studied the style of longtime Detroit Red Wings center
Pavel Datsyuk
.
"I considered Datsyuk the most well-rounded player on the ice," Krug said. "And watching (Bruins defenseman)
Zdeno Chara
, my teammate, was a big help to me as well."
Krug's career soared in the 2012-13 playoffs. He played in 15 games, scoring six points (four goals, two assists) and helping the Bruins reach Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2014, he scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 12 playoff games.
"We loved the way Torey played," Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. "Frankly, I'm sad he's not with us anymore."
One of Hollett's most prolific seasons was 1938-39, when Boston won the Cup for the first time in 10 years. He scored 10 goals in 44 regular-season games -- remarkable for a defenseman in that era -- and had 17 assists for 27 points.
"If anyone was hurt," Hollett said, "I'd move from defense up to wing. Other times I'd be up front as a penalty-killer."
Hollett maintained his excellent pace throughout World War II and helped the Bruins reach the Cup Final again in 1943, though they were swept by the Red Wings.
In his definitive 2003 history, "Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL," author Andrew Podnieks likened Hollett's style to future Bruins star
Bobby Orr
.
"Hollett was to the between-the-wars generation what Orr was to the generation following expansion," Podnieks wrote. "Hollett might be the greatest defenseman not in the Hockey Hall of Fame."
Krug followed the Hollett-Orr tradition during his time in Boston. His best offensive season was 2017-18, when he scored 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists), as well as 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 11 playoff games.
In 2017-18, Krug became Boston's all-time leader in points by a player born in the United States. During
Game 3 of the 2019 Cup Final
against St. Louis, Krug became the first member of the Bruins to score four points in a Cup Final game.
Though Hollett and Krug each excelled in Boston, each moved on.
Ross came to regret trading Hollett to Detroit for defenseman
Pat Egan
on Jan. 5, 1944. In 1944-45, Hollett became the first defenseman in NHL history to reach the 20-goal mark, then contributed seven points (three goals, four assists) in 14 playoff games, helping Detroit reach
Game 7 of the Cup Final
before losing to the Maple Leafs.
If Krug has any concerns about changing teams, all he has to do is recall how well Hollett fared.