Ryan: Torey Krug's storybook career in Boston ends on a disheartening note

In a perfect scenario, it wouldn't have come to this.

Torey Krug would have re-upped with the only pro organization he's known — the same franchise that snatched up a undrafted, undersized free agent out of Michigan State — armed with a howitzer of a shot and an equally imposing chip on his shoulder.

The already top U.S.-born scorer in Bruins franchise history, Krug would have continued to carve out his legacy with the Original Six club. He would have continued serving as the maestro of a potent power-play unit, conducting the B's offense from the blue line and half wall — and welcoming the cacophony of cheers from the Garden seats following every successful symphony on the sheet.

For as much as Krug's highlight reel — the bank passes, the blasts from the point, the "Frank The Tank" cellys, that hit — is already packed to the brim, it was far from complete. Perhaps one day it would be topped off with the only fitting way to truly encapsulate a Boston sports star — with Krug finally getting a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, donning that famous black and gold sweater.

It would be the storybook ending that we all crave when it comes to sports – especially when it comes to those athletes that have become engrained within our fandom over the years.

But, as much as we yearn for those sorts of narratives, oftentimes that's not how reality works. And Krug, like many Bruins fans, were largely spent shaking their head at just how things went south on Friday evening. 

"I didn't know what today was going to bring," Krug said Friday of his approach as one of the top free agents on the 2020 market. "I was going to welcome anything that that came through the door — I guess, rang through the phone. And it didn't work out. You know, I was looking forward to have a conversation with them. It just didn't happen."

Krug's iconic shot with Boston — in which the riled-up defenseman, sans helmet, set upon Blues forward Robert Thomas like a heat-seeking missile in Game 1 of the 2019 Cup Final — has now lost its luster. Not because of the end result of the seven-game bout, but rather because the same player that Krug obliterated will now share the bench with the 29-year-old defenseman for the foreseeable future.

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Krug, often forced to take one-year deals or bridge contracts during his time with Boston, finally received the long-term deal he rightfully deserved on Friday — signing a seven-year deal with the St. Louis Blues that will pay him an average of $6.5 million per season.

The writing appeared to be on the wall when it came to Krug's future with Boston, with the B's unable to match the term or the cash that other suitors were prepared to offer the 29-year-old defenseman on the open market. But no comparisons could be made between the deal St. Louis offered and Boston's attempt to reel him back into the fold. Why? Well, because Krug never received one from the only team he's suited up for up in the NHL ranks.

"Yeah, about a year ago," Krug said of the last time he received a contract offer from Boston.

"There was just no communication," he added. "Nothing happened. So, like I said before, once the opportunity presented itself to be a Blue, I had to take the chance and jump on it."

Krug's departure, while unfortunate, shouldn't exactly come as much of a surprise — given the radio silence between both parties over the past few seasons when it came to a new contract. Had Krug signed elsewhere for, say, seven years and $7.5 million AAV, then Boston very well could have shrugged their shoulders and refocused their efforts on finding other building blocks to retool this still talented roster on the fly.

But that doesn't appear to be the case in this situation.

"It was pulled from me," Krug said of the contract Boston put on the table last year. "I didn’t have an offer. When they offered me a year ago and then it’s gone, I don’t know what I’m expected to do. Just being blunt and being honest with you. Most people don’t share that side of it but it is what it is."

But if Krug's sentiments are indeed how things ended between both parties, it marks an unfortunate final chapter to a career in Boston that has exceeded just about everyone's expectations. Well, except for maybe Krug's — who's never been one to doubt his own abilities to thrive in the NHL.

And that's what made Krug, an overlooked, 5-foot-9 D-man hailing from just outside Detroit, so magnetic in a town like Boston. As much as he didn't look the part when compared the cantankerous, big-bodies bruisers that have become staples of Bruins legend, Krug rarely let his size and undrafted status define him up in the pro game.

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He was electrifying to watch when locked in with the puck on his stick, bombastic and ornery when poked and prodded by the opposition, and rarely shirked from the spotlight. His opening act in Boston saw him — at just 22 years old — lit the light four times in his first five postseason games against the Rangers in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The next time Boston made it to the brink of a Cup title, Krug once again played a key role— tying for the league lead with 16 assists over 24 games during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Off the ice, Krug was viewed as a key "bridge" in Boston's locker room — a link between the old guard of Chara, Bergeron, Krejci and others, and the ever-growing pool of youngsters who would represent the next wave of talent on this roster.

"Sometimes, if you're a 21-22 year old, you don't always want to go to the veteran guys," Bruce Cassidy said of Krug's leadership back in July. "You're intimidated. But you'll go to a Krug that's 27-28 ,that's closer to your own age group — so that's the part he's done a real good job with and definitely has leadership skills. I've said all along I think you know,  he's captain material."

Away from the rink, Krug was already ingratiated into the Boston community and ran with it — with him and his young family looking to set down their roots within a city that he's called home for close to a decade. Hell, he even named his dog Fenway, after all.

All of those memories are not lost on Krug as he takes the next step in his career.

Although, at these point, they serve as just that — memories. Memories of brighter times, all spent with the team that first took the chance on a kid with something to prove out of Michigan State.

"It's very hard," Krug said when asked to reflect on his time in Boston. "To be honest, I don't have all my thoughts and feelings ready to respond to a question like that. My initial response is that I'm just very excited to join the Blues and sad that I have to leave a city that gave me an opportunity. I mean, when I came into the league, there's not many teams in the league that would have taken a chance on a 5-foot-9 defenseman. A puck mover that was undrafted, and, it's tough.

"I grew up here and grew up as a professional and my family's grown here. So it's emotional to talk about it. We'll see how I react in the coming days. But as of right now, I'm just really excited. ... To move on from a city like this, this locker room, I have lifelong friends that I'm gonna remain in contact with and be very close with. I'm just very thankful for my time in Boston, and all the lessons I've learned over the years from that group of leaders and even the organization — top to bottom, I have nothing but great things."