Stop if you’ve heard this before — but Don Sweeney and the Bruins have a whole lot of work to do over the next couple of months.
With Boston likely opting for another retool in an attempt to orchestrate at least one more Cup run with this veteran core, the onus is going to fall on Sweeney and the B’s top brass to reshape this roster on the fly — with talent infusions likely needed on the blue line and lower down on the depth chart.
Add in an uncertain situation in net and what is already a loaded offseason docket with the Seattle Kraken making landfall — and there’s plenty that the Bruins need to sort out before training camp opens in September.
Here’s a look at Boston’s to-do list over the next couple of months:
1. Preach patience in order to lessen damage done by Seattle Kraken expansion draft
The first step toward re-stocking for another potential Cup run likely lies in inking pending UFAs like Taylor Hall and David Krejci to new contracts, but don’t expect much in terms of fireworks from the Bruins — or many other teams for that matter — until after the Seattle expansion draft is concluded on July 21st.
As much as Boston will likely want to lock up its pending UFAs before free agency opens on July 28th, the current priority will be for Boston to maximize the protection slots afforded to it in the expansion draft — with Boston likely going the 7-3-1 route and protecting seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender from the Kraken.
Now, if Boston was to re-sign Krejci or Hall before the expansion draft, they would then need to use one of those coveted protection slots on them as well — which would open the door for Seattle to pluck a player that otherwise would have been protected like Craig Smith.
What you’ll likely see happen IF Hall/Krejci does re-sign is Boston hashing out the framework of a deal — or “speaking in generalities,” as Sweeney described it — leading up to the Kraken draft, using the 7-3-1 format to protect as many assets as they can and then sign guys like Hall or Krejci in the week between the expansion draft and the start of free agency.
2. Continue to be on the prowl for centers in 2021 NHL Draft
After relinquishing their 2020 first-round pick in the deal that shipped David Backes and his contract out of Boston and brought aboard Ondrej Kase, the Bruins will be back in the first round in 2021 — with Boston expected to pick 20th overall.
While the 2021 draft class isn’t as loaded as previous groupings in terms of top-tier talent, don’t be surprised if you see quite a few impact players slip further down into the first round or perhaps into Day 2 of the draft — considering that rankings have been jumbled all over the place due to various COVID-related interruptions and outright cancellations in the CHL, NCAA, overseas in Europe and various other leagues. Add in the fact that in-person viewings for scouts were often limited, and there could be many diamonds in the rough that fall further down on most team’s draft lists.
With Patrice Bergeron not getting any younger, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Boston continues to target young pivots with that No. 20 pick. While centers like Chaz Lucius and Cole Sillinger may not be available by the time Boston picks, other pivots like Aatu Raty and Francesco Pinelli might be available.
Boston could also opt for a winger considering a number of skaters with high offensive ceilings might also be available, including Harvard commit Matthew Coronato and Sasha Pastujov.
3. Bring back David Krejci
Had things likely gone the way the Bruins had intended, this offseason would have been the stepping-off point when it came to Krejci’s time in Boston — with Boston moving on from its longtime 2C and handing the keys to Charlie Coyle after signing him to a six-year, $31.5-million contract back in November 2019.
With Jack Studnicka carving out a role for himself in the NHL ranks this season, the 3C spot would likely fall to him moving forward, giving Boston another pipeline of talented centers that would hopefully be able to keep this contention window open for years to come.
Of course — NONE of that actually transpired in 2021, with Coyle struggling for most of the year and Studnicka unable to hang around up with Boston for extended stretches.
As such, the Bruins’ best bet when it comes to maximizing the potential of their 2021-22 roster is to bring back Krejci once more.
All things considered, it’s pretty much a no-brainer at this point. Not only would there be a glaring vacancy if Krejci was to leave — one that wouldn’t be filled internally or in free agency — but Krejci also has expressed a willingness to return, especially at a much lower cap hit than his previous team-high $7.25 million annual cost.
"It’s not about money," Krejci said via Zoom last Friday. "I guess that’s all I can tell you. My next deal is not going to be based on money. … I love Boston. This is my home," he added. "I just don’t see myself playing anywhere else. We’ll see what happens."
At this point, it does seem as though both player and team are in a bit of a holding pattern, with Boston likely giving Krejci some time to sort things out and determine if he’s willing to play at least a few more seasons in the NHL before likely wrapping up his pro career over in the Czech Republic.
“In David’s case, it’s very unique in the fact that he would like to continue to play with the Bruins, (but) he’s obviously expressed interest that he may return home at some point in time, whether that’s next year or down the road,” Sweeney said. “And the family dynamic is important to him. He’s asked to have a little bit of time in the coming days to allow him to, again, on his own, have conversations with his family and then we’re going to sit back down and have a real honest conversation.
I do believe David does want to continue to play and he’s made it pretty clear that if he’d like to continue his career, this is the place he’d continue to play should he chose to stay at the NHL level.”
Krejci’s return is only a short-term solution for this team, but if Boston can re-sign their veteran center for, say, a one or two-year deal around $4.5 - 5 million a year, it would put Boston in the best possible spot to contend once more next year.
Sooner or later, Boston will need to accept a future in which both Bergeron and Krejci won't be leading the way down the middle. But we haven't reached that point quite yet.
4. Lock in your top-six unit by signing Taylor Hall
As much as some Bruins fans might have a bad taste in their mouth for how Hall and that second line labored against the Islanders, there’s no need to overthink this.
For most of his short tenure with Boston, Taylor Hall was dominant — with Boston holding a 15-1 edge in goals scored during his 212 minutes of 5v5 ice time during the regular season.
But beyond the pure production that Hall generated, he sure seemed like a natural fit on this veteran-heavy B’s roster — meshing seamlessly with Krejci and Smith and routinely praising his new club for its welcoming environment that players like Bergeron have cultivated over the years.
Given Hall’s resurgence after a brutal couple of months in Buffalo, another bidding war could be on the horizon this summer for the former No. 1 overall pick, but Hall stressed during his end-of-season Zoom conference that at this stage of his career, the fit with a particular club might take precedence over the overall payout.
That’s not to say that Hall is going to re-sign with Boston for pennies on the dollar, but if Boston can re-up the second-line winger for around $6 million in average annual value, it sure seems like an advantageous move for both parties.
Boston has its top-six winger finally in the fold, and Hall can continue to thrive on a roster where, at long last, he doesn’t necessarily have to be "the guy."
“I see a fit, and hopefully they feel the same,” Hall said. “We’ll let the dust settle on everything this year. I’m sure they have a lot of stuff going on and some other guys that have been here longer than me that they have to worry about. We’ll figure that out, but hopefully we can make something work. That’s obviously my goal, and like I said, hopefully we can make that happen.”
He added: “I’m not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league. At this point, it’s about more of a fit for me than, maybe, money or a long-term thing. I just want to find a home for the next few years here. We’ll see what happens.”
5. So ... who's in net?
There are many roster holes and needs that Boston has to address — all of which the B's hope to have a better grasp on by the time September rolls around.
But even if Hall and Krejci return, depth is added to the bottom-six unit and another blueliner or two joins the D corps, the 2021-22 Bruins are still going to be saddled with some serious question marks entering camp.
And most of them have to do with the precarious situation that Boston finds itself in with its goaltending.
It’s a jigsaw puzzle of a roster battle that very well may not be resolved until we’re well into the regular season — but the first step toward solving this snafu is determining what to do with Tuukka Rask in 2021 and beyond.
A pending free agent, signing Rask to a new contract would seem like an easy call for Boston under most circumstances, especially given this team’s win-now window. As polarizing as he might be, most teams would kill for a plan in net in which a veteran netminder like Rask can continue to anchor your defense as a No. 1 option — while the potential next wave of talent in Jeremy Swayman can be eased along up at the NHL level as a backup for at least a season or two.
But such an ideal partnership won’t be in the cards this upcoming season, at least for the first few months. With Rask set to undergo hip surgery that will keep him sidelined until at least January or February, Boston has some decisions to make as to how to move forward in net for a team that can’t be felled by poor goaltending, a la the 2021 Flyers.
So what does Boston do in the coming months?
Do you sign Rask for this upcoming season to a cheaper, short-term contract?
If so — do you run with a very young (and unproven) tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar in net until Rask returns?
Do you sign another veteran backup to split time with Swayman until Rask returns — like a Jonathan Bernier or Petr Mrazek?
But what happens with Rask returns then?
Maybe you move on from Rask and sign a Chris Driedger instead to pair with Swayman for the next couple of seasons?
Is your brain hurting too?
As you can see, there isn’t really a surefire way to chart out how to best handle this situation in net, given how many variables remain up in the air in regards to Rask’s health, Swayman’s progression and how much money Boston wants to allocate to the goaltending position if it needs to sign both Rask AND another veteran as insurance.
We’ll focus on this quite a bit this offseason — but as of right now, trying to sort out Boston’s goalie situation is likely going to have us looking like Charlie Kelly trying to solve the mystery of Pepe Silvia.
6. Determine the fate of the rest of your free agents / bubble players
The status of Hall, Krejci and Rask stand as the most pivotal decisions that Boston has to make when it comes to sizing up just how competitive this club can be in 2021, but there are a number of other in-house decisions that Boston needs to make before turning to free agency or trades.
Other pending UFAs include Mike Reilly, Sean Kuraly, Kevan Miller, Jaroslav Halak, Steven Kampfer and Jarred Tinordi. Of that group, perhaps a depth piece like Tinordi could be in line for a return, but it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the rest of the group isn’t back in Boston.
Reilly will be a tough decision for Boston, as the puck-moving skater did make a sizable impact on this D corps during the regular season. But he could be priced out of Boston’s plans in free agency — or Boston could perhaps target a few larger blueliners this offseason after Reilly labored at times against both the Capitals and Islanders in the playoffs.
As for restricted free agents, Boston will have to either pay up on new deals for Brandon Carlo, Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, Trent Frederic and others or opt to not qualify them.
Even with his concerning injury history, Carlo is too valuable to part with — as seen during Boston’s second-round loss to New York. Ritchie is an interesting case in terms of if Boston wants to be the team that hands him a new payday, while it sure seems like Boston will not qualify Kase, letting him walk in free agency.
But beyond free agents, perhaps the most looming in-house decision Boston will have to make is the future of Jake DeBrusk — who struggled to gain traction for most of the year in what was far and away the most disappointing season of his career.
Perhaps Boston might hold out hope that keeping DeBrusk in at left wing and a return to normalcy in the post-COVID world might allow the hot-and-cold winger to right the ship and become the 20-goal scorer that Boston expects to see year after year.
But Boston could very well decide that a change of scenery is the best option for all involved — which would be an unfortunate end, given both DeBrusk’s tanking value in terms of any trade, as well as the likelihood that DeBrusk could regain his scoring touch in a new city.
7. Beef up D corps
Well, when the president of the team declares that an “elusive left D we’ve been looking for that can chew up a lot of minutes” is at the top of their offseason to-do list, it makes this a pretty easy entry.
Granted, I think everyone who watched the final games of Boston’s second-round exit against the Islanders can agree that Boston needs to inject a lot more talent into its defense — beyond just a top-four D on the left side.
Whether it was injuries to Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller, a lack of depth on the roster, the failure of youngsters like Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen to seize starting spots (ultimately, Jarred Tinordi was ruled to be the better option than either skater in that series) or Boston’s smaller blueliners getting knocked around by a furious forecheck, this latest playoff bow-out further reinforced the need for Boston to shore up its defense in 2021-22.
“I think our D this year had maybe eight concussions, which is something I don’t know how to combat,” Cam Neely said. “But that position is something that we’ve been looking for, for a while. And hopefully we can do something to grab someone that’s going to help, maybe play 20 minutes a game for us.”
Especially if Boston lets Reilly walk, Boston very well might need at least a few blueliners this offseason — whether it be the aforementioned top-four D, another veteran presence on the left side or even a right-shot depth option, especially with Miller’s future uncertain and Connor Clifton potentially heading over to Seattle in the next month.
An established free-agent target like Alec Martinez or Jamie Oleksiak?
A value signing with a potentially high ceiling like Jake McCabe?
Depth options like Dmitry Kulikov (left shot) or Jani Hakanpää (right shot?)
A legitimate top-four impact player acquired via trade like Mattias Ekholm or Noah Hanifin?
All options need to be on the table for Boston, because even if the whole band gets back together in 2021, this team isn’t going anywhere if its D corps remains in its current state ahead of another grueling playoff push.
8. Add scoring in bottom-six grouping
The return of Krejci/Hall might shore up Boston’s top-six unit, but if Boston wants to truly contend in 2021-22, it’s going to need to roll out four potent lines and ensure that opposing teams don’t divert all of their efforts toward shutting down both the Bergeron and Krejci lines.
Sure, Boston’s third line could be in line for a rebound if Coyle recovers from offseason surgery and DeBrusk bounces back, but there should be plenty of free-agent wingers available that Boston needs to keep tabs on.
Perhaps they are priced out of Boston’s range, but signing one of Blake Coleman, Kyle Palmieri or Brandon Saad would make the world of a difference for Boston’s bottom-six, with one of those impact forwards potentially swapping spots with Craig Smith in the top-six if Bruce Cassidy sees fit.
As for the fourth line, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Boston opts for that checking unit to serve as the avenue for young talent to cut their teeth, especially someone like Frederic or even a Cameron Hughes. But if Boston is looking for a bit more a veteran presence in that mix, perhaps the B's could scoop up someone like a Mathieu Perreault or Matt Calvert in free agency.
Whichever route Boston takes, one thing is for sure — this bottom-six group can’t keep the status quo after what transpired in the past season.
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2015 Draft continues to haunt Bruins
At this point, what more is there to say about the 2015 NHL Draft?
We all know the story at this point: The circumstances, the trades, the players that Boston selected in what was Don Sweeney’s first draft at the helm of the franchise — and more importantly, the players that didn’t don a black-and-gold sweater that night.
And while it didn’t take very long for us to realize just how much of a whiff the Bruins took by not selecting Mat Barzal … or Thomas Chabot ... or Kyle Connor … or Brock Boeser … or Travis Knoecny … or Anthony Beauvillier … or (alright, we’ll stop), that failed retool in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory was covered up for a stretch thanks to the continued strong play of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and other stalwarts of this veteran core.
Of course, even if Boston still made it to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final and punched their ticket to the postseason five years in a row despite striking out in that first round — it’s awfully hard to not think about how much even ONE of those players that the B’s passed on would have helped this club, whether it be in 2019 or any other campaign in which this franchise fell short.
And that sentiment may not only be shared by Bruins fans airing out their grievances at local watering holes.
“I’ve looked back at that a lot, obviously,” Cam Neely said of the 2015 Draft. “I think the timing of when we hired Don and then the draft was taking place – would have been good I think to have a little bit more time between the hiring and the draft. Not to say that Don wasn’t involved in the amateur meetings, but he wasn’t involved at the time, most of the time thinking that he was making the picks.”
Perhaps the most painful aspect of what transpired on June 26, 2015 was that Boston seemed to have its sights set on using those three first-round picks to trade further up in the draft — but when any potential deal fell through, it sure seems as though Boston didn’t know what to do with the sudden treasure trove of picks available to them.
“I think Don did everything he needed to do leading up to that draft to get three first-round picks,” Neely added. “I thought the moves that he made were really good and poised to set us up for the future. The guys put the list together. I think maybe during that time, we should have taken some time out – as everybody knows, we tried to move up in the draft. It didn’t work. We probably should have taken the time out and really just digested that list a little bit more.
“Then there was a pick that one of our scouts really thought that the player wouldn’t be available in the second round. Obviously, hindsight is everything we’d all love to have. moving forward and thinking about making different decisions or better decisions, I guess. You can always do that in every draft though, no matter where you pick and how many picks you have.”
Going through the what could have been mantra when it comes to that 2015 draft has already been covered extensively, but don’t expect the discourse to end anytime soon — especially as Boston prepares for the inevitable pains that come with a rebuild prompted by the lack of a second wave of talent beyond two key cogs in David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
It’s only going to get more painful from here, unfortunately.
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Next up on my list of ambitious projects? Trying to find out who ordered what during the Bruins' memorable party at Foxwoods after their Stanley Cup title 10 years ago.
Ten years ago today: Boston Bruins players leave bar in the early morning hours after compiling a legendary bill to celebrate their Stanley Cup win. pic.twitter.com/AppVkG8LK2
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 19, 2021
The most pressing question - who ordered the Amstel Light?