With all due respect to the importance of the coach and general manager, the domino that was always going to determine which way this offseason fell for the Bruins was Patrice Bergeron.
That domino has now fallen. Bergeron has decided to return for a 19th season, according to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Patrice Bergeron is reportedly back!
Had Bergeron retired, it obviously would have drastically changed how Don Sweeney approached this offseason. He would have needed to figure out if there was a way to acquire a No. 1 center to replace him, or if a potentially multi-year retool was inevitable.
Now, that decision can be put off for another year. That doesn’t mean Sweeney won’t still have some tough decisions to make in the days and weeks to come, though.
He must decide whether he is truly all-in on trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup next season. The Bruins had a good team last year. At times, they played like one of the best teams in the NHL. But ultimately the season ended with a first-round exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Bruins have little cap space and few open roster spots. Bergeron and Curtis Lazar were the only two regulars who didn’t have contracts for next season. They had just over $3 million of cap space before Bergeron’s new contract is added. We don’t yet know the details of that deal.
That would all be great if you believe the Bruins were already a Cup contender and don’t need to do anything more than run it back with a different coach. That’s a tough sell, though.
While the Bruins got some depth scoring at times during the second half of the season, it once again proved to be a weakness in the playoffs. Sweeney and president Cam Neely hope their yet-to-be-hired new coach, with a new approach, will help improve the five-on-five scoring.
It might, but a better roster would go even further towards achieving that goal. The Bruins still don’t have a true No. 2 center behind Bergeron. Another scoring wing would be nice, too.
It’s possible that 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell emerges as the latter, but his development won’t be rushed, and he may need some time in Providence first. The closest thing to the former they have right now remains Erik Haula, unless Jack Studnicka takes the leap forward everyone has been waiting a couple years to see. David Krejci has still not ruled out a return after one season away.
The Bruins could upgrade their forward group via free agency or trade, but they would need to free up quite a bit of money to do so. Buying out Nick Foligno (which would save $1.9 million for this season) or burying him in Providence (which would save $1.1 million) would be a start.
They could also trade a defenseman, as they currently have eight of them under NHL contracts. However, that plan has been complicated by offseason surgeries for Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly. McAvoy and Grzelcyk will miss the start of the season, as will Bergeron’s No. 1 running mate, Brad Marchand.
Bergeron returning saves Sweeney one headache this offseason. All he has to do now is hire a new coach, try to get an extension done with David Pastrnak, and figure out how to improve a flawed roster with minimal cap space.
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