In the summer of 2022, we all thought we knew how the Bruins lineup would come together when David Krejci returned after his one-year sabbatical in his homeland.

Krejci, who had chemistry with his countryman David Pastrnak, had also created the same in the one season he had played with Taylor Hall. So naturally, we all expected Hall, Krejci and Pastrnak would form a super line come October.

Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Yes, Krejci and Pastrnak were a tandem that season and it helped the junior Czech to record a 61-goal season. But Hall dropped down to the third line and gave the B’s the kind of depth that catapulted them to a record-breaking 65-win season (yeah, yeah, we know what happened in the playoffs).

All of this a roundabout way of saying you never know how the lineup shakes out until the skates hit the ice in September. We think we know how things will play out but, judging from experience, the odds of those notions all becoming the reality on opening night are long.

There will be competition for both rosters spots as well as certain lineup slots. So as we trudge through the last few dog weeks of summer, let’s put the Coronas aside for a minute and take a look at a few question marks, the answering of which could have any number of ripple effects.

Second line right wing?

The departure of Jake DeBrusk is a bigger loss than his legion of critics will admit. But an all-situations forward who tends to raise his game in the post-season is a nice commodity to have. The leading candidate to fill his spot – at least the 5-on-5 portion of it – just might be Fabian Lysell. If he truly earns it, that would be great news for the Bruins. He’s one of the few first-round picks in the system (21st overall in 2021) and, if he hits, it would give the B’s a top-six talent on his entry-level deal. Everybody wins. Lysell has frustrated the coaching staff in Providence at times with his attention to the harder aspects of the game, but he’s got when the B’s need – high-end skill.

Another possibility, one that would take some major adjustment for the player, would be Georgii Merkulov. A left-shot natural centerman, he’d be required to move to his off wing. While that’s not an impossible task, it’s not for everyone. But Merkulov doesn’t have a lot more to prove in the AHL. After a 24-goal rookie season in Providence, he followed it up with a 30-goal sophomore season. He may never be a Selke candidate, but he’s worked to round out his game.

There are more experienced candidates – Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie or possibly even newcomer Max Jones (only Geekie is a right shot) – but the best development would be for the one of the skilled youngsters to grab it.

Third line center?

The hope and expectation is that Matt Poitras will pick up where he left off and secure this slot. It’s a strong possibility, but not a given. He’s only 20 years old, is coming off major shoulder surgery and has just 33 NHL games under his belt. Last year, he was given a great opportunity under unusual circumstances and, to his credit, he seized it. But that doesn’t mean he won’t face competition for the spot this training camp, especially now that he can be sent to the AHL for more seasoning, if it’s deemed he needs it. It would not be the worst thing in the world if Poitras got a chance to run the first PP unit in Providence.

Where could his competition come from? Well, there is Merkulov. He’ll be 24 when the Bruins open up at home Oct. 10 and, while not physically imposing at 5-11, 176 pounds, Merkulov should be more physically mature than the similarly-sized Poitras.

Frederic was developed mostly as a centerman and, though he’s found a pretty good niche on his off wing, he saw a little more time in the middle last season, to varying degrees of success. Geekie, too, had shown some level of proficiency in the pivot.

If Poitras can continue his upward trajectory, that makes the B’s all that much deeper. If he’s better served by a trip down 95 south, then there are several Plan B candidates.

Jeremy Swayman backup?

Let’s put the angst aside and assume the B’s and their No. 1 goalie get something done. There are still some pressure points to come in that process – the start of camp, the beginning of the regular season and (gasp) the drop-dead Dec. 1 date – but the extension should get signed. But who will be his next best buddy now that Linus Ullmark is in Ottawa?

If management is true to its word and there’s a legitimate competition, the battle between Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi should make for a very interesting September.

Bussi appeared to be that guy for all of a few hours when he inked a one-year extension for $775,00. But that was before the B’s pulled the trigger on the Ullmark deal that saw Korpisalo and his four more years at $3 million (after salary retention) a season. The B’s believe they can fix the Finn after his game bottomed out in Ottawa. If they can, that would probably be best. It could give the B’s the kind of tandem they had with Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. But if Bussi is better, they could save a few hundred grand by sending Korpisalo to Providence – or a lot more if a team surprised them and grabbed him off waivers.

How will Mason Lohrei be used?

Arguably the most promising aspect of the B’s playoff run was the emergence of the rookie defenseman. While Lohrei was a tad erratic in the 41 NHL regular season games he played in, the bright lights of the playoffs brought out the best in him. With the signing of Nikita Zadorov, Lohrei seems destined to start each night on the third pairing with Andrew Peeke. With Zadorov and Hampus Lindolm slotted ahead of him on the left side, that’s where he should be slotted. But with Lohrei’s offensive gifts, here’s hoping that incoming assistant coach Jay Leach will squeeze our more minutes for him somehow, whether it be on one of the power play units or on nights when the B’s are chasing the score.

Rookies report Sept. 12. It’s never too early to start fiddling with your depth chart.