Ryan: Bruins’ young core poised for success, but an extended window can be deceiving

For a player tied so closely to the long-term vitality of the Bruins, Charlie McAvoy likes to keep things grounded in the present.

Specifically, the 20-year-old defenseman shares a sentiment held by most Bruins fans — dismissing a reality where veterans like Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara are not mainstays in the Black and Gold’s locker room.

“I don’t really think of that very much,” McAvoy said earlier this month during training camp. “My thing is, they’re here. I don’t think down the road to when they won’t be here. I’m just so happy to have them here now to continue to learn and they push us so hard and we just follow their lead.”

Sure, Boston’s veteran core — the same assortment of players who have lifted Boston to two Cup Final appearances and back into prominence for over a decade — aren’t going anywhere. At least for now.

Barring injury, Bruins fans know what to expect from the established talent on the roster.

A 33-year-old Patrice Bergeron should once again anchor a top line that at one point held opposing teams to one even-strength goal in 21 games last season. A 30-year-old Brad Marchand will flirt with 40 goals for the fourth year in a row. A 32-year-old David Krejci and 31-year-old Tuukka Rask will hold their own at the second-line pivot and between the pipes. A 41-year-old Zdeno Chara will continue to defy Father Time and skate on Boston’s top D pairing.

Amid all the ups and downs that come with a grueling NHL season, one can expect a certain standard of play from the veterans on the Black and Gold — a standard that can punch a ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Given their proven talent and a promising class of younger skaters, Boston would seem to have found that perfect equilibrium that leads to a extended championship window.

But looks can be deceiving — and although this Bruins team has the youth to roll out talented teams for years to come, there’s a brewing sense of urgency for players like McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and others.

Boston’s usual suspects might be the reason the Bruins are in position for another postseason run, but the play of the younger cast of characters will be the true factor that determines if the Bruins hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup once again in June. And this group doesn’t have much time to wait things out.

“I think it’s urgency,” Cassidy said of the challenges facing Boston’s second-year players, adding: “They expect to be better. If they have 20 goals (last year), they expect to have 25. That doesn’t always work that way. If they can get past those hurdles and focus on the process, I think they’ll be better off.”

Even with an established pipeline of younger skaters, urgency seemed to be the buzzword for Don Sweeney and Co. during the offseason, with Boston tied to notable free agents like Ilya Kovalchuk and John Tavares in an attempt to put the team over the top in what should be a cutthroat Atlantic Division.

Ultimately, those pitches came up short — Kovalchuk inked a deal with the Kings, while Tavares opted for the Maple Leafs, the same upstart team that pushed the Bruins to seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Now, Boston will seek that needed secondary scoring from a group of second-year players, with DeBrusk and Heinen tabbed for top-six roles and McAvoy expected to anchor the B’s top D pairing alongside a skater 20 years his elder.

Now, that’s not to discredit the group of young players that this Bruins team boasts. Boston’s rookie class tallied an impressive 188 points last season, and players like McAvoy seem to be on the fast track to NHL stardom.

“By committee, we’re going to have to rise up here and build a new identity of our team,” McAvoy said of Boston’s second-year group. “As long as we have those veteran guys, the culture will always be the same, I really believe that.”

There’s not too much to dislike about this Bruins team. On paper, they seem to have everything you’d want in a championship contender. The only thing that could work against Boston is precious, precious time.

As players like Bergeron and Krejci continue to progress into the later stages of their careers, the onus will be on the next generation to shoulder some some of the weight.

And if they falter, so too might the hopes of a Bruins team looking to finally put all the pieces together. The clock is ticking.