Bruins
“I believe we will nonetheless be a greater staff, however there’s a variety of work to do that summer season, there’s no query.”
COMMENTARY
Time wasn’t on the Bruins’ facet final summer season.
Such was the hand dealt to a franchise whose rivalry window remained ajar off of the bodily fortitude of two facilities over the age of 35.
As quickly as each Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci opted to return to Boston on one-year, bargain-bin contracts in August, the clock began to tick.
Each Bergeron and Krejci have trudged by means of shattered ribs, shredded shoulders, and different illnesses all through their illustrious careers.
However Father Time stays undefeated. And with Boston fixated on one ultimate kick on the can, Don Sweeney put all of his chips on the desk in 2023.
The associated fee? A barren cabinet of draft capital and a self-created cap crunch on the horizon.
The return? Arguably the deepest roster in Bruins historical past, and a record-setting run from October by means of April.
The outcome? The identical crushing finish, with Sweeney and Boston’s high brass pressured to face the music in early Could, slightly than hoist hockey’s high prize in mid-June.
“I had a pair gamers on the exit conferences really apologize and say, ‘You guys gave us a wagon of a staff, and we didn’t execute.’ So, the gamers, they know,” Bruins president Cam Neely mentioned Tuesday. “Gamers know when you’ve gotten an opportunity to win and whenever you don’t. They knew we had an opportunity to win.”
The Bruins’ dream season shortly unraveled right into a nightmare. A “final dance” for Boston’s lauded veteran core noticed them fall flat on their face.
And now, Sweeney and his employees should decide up the items on a roster that includes 10 whole free brokers … and little when it comes to out there cap house.
“Our objective was to place the season on the best possible roster we might put collectively and attempt to take an actual legit run and we failed, no query,” Sweeney acknowledged. “So, we have now to pay that ahead a bit bit.”
It’s pure to imagine the worst within the wake of such a catastrophic outcome.
It’s woven into the material of this fandom, a gaggle nonetheless weary from earlier postseason letdowns, and totally cognizant of the missed alternative that slipped by means of their staff’s grasp this spring.
However there shall be no full-scale teardown scheduled for this summer season, no matter Bergeron and Krejci’s future plans.
The Bruins gained’t have the ability to merely run it again, that we all know. Reasonably, the one choice afforded to them is to easily preserve operating ahead.
“Roster modifications are seemingly coming,” Sweeney mentioned. “We’re not going to be the identical staff, however our mandate internally, collectively as a gaggle, is we have now a extremely sturdy core of men that hopefully … will proceed to develop, will take management accountability transferring ahead no matter whether or not or not Patrice and David stroll again by means of the door as a result of they should.”
As daunting as a post-Bergeron period could be, the Bruins are nonetheless poised to be a aggressive squad in 2023-24.
A key contributor like Taylor Corridor, Matt Grzelcyk, and even Linus Ullmark would possibly must be subtracted from this roster in pursuit of cap flexibility. There’s removed from any assure that Tyler Bertuzzi or Dmitry Orlov will re-up this summer season.
However so far as lineup development is anxious, the Bruins have the framework of a roster nonetheless poised to say itself within the standings.
Up entrance, 61-goal scorer David Pastrnak (signed by means of 2031) will anchor a ahead corps nonetheless that includes different top-six skills like Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk.
Regardless of lackluster leads to the postseason, a D corps anchored by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm (each signed by means of 2030) is an imposing matchup for many groups.
Boston ideally desires to maintain the tandem of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman intact, however the latter might be primed for heavier reps if the cap circumstances dictate a transfer.
They’ll be removed from the 65-win, 135-point juggernaut of final yr, however Boston just isn’t going to tumble down into the cellar of the Atlantic Division.
“The objective is at all times to stay aggressive,” Neely famous. “Don talked about the items that we have now coming again are fairly good hockey gamers. I believe we acquired a bit style of doubtless what the staff would possibly seem like in Video games 3 and 4.
“I assumed these two video games clearly put us up three video games to 1. So, I believe we will nonetheless be a greater staff, however there’s a variety of work to do that summer season, there’s no query.”
Like all staff, the Bruins will want some issues to fall their means as soon as once more.
Ideally, at the least certainly one of Bergeron or Krejci opts to return on one other bargain-bin contract to assist Boston navigate by means of their fiscal headache.
Pavel Zacha, who recorded extra 5v5 factors than each Bruin besides Pastrnak final season, would possibly must anchor a top-six line.
Originally posted 2023-05-11 00:42:49.