Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask isn’t going anywhere

Don Sweeney spoke to the media on Wednesday and it appears that Tuukka Rask will be back in net for the Boston Bruins next season.

The story of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs for better or worse will be Tuukka Rask. The Boston Bruins were the best team in the NHL… until Rask opted out due to a family emergency.

It seems to be obligatory at this point whenever talking about Rask, but everyone should respect his decision. It was a family emergency. We all would have done the same thing.

But there’s no discounting how big of a loss Rask’s absence was to the team. He is a top goaltender in the NHL and a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

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During the regular season, Rask was 26-8-6 with a 2.12 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. Rask was one of the main reasons Boston was so successful this year. It was one of the best seasons of his entire career.

But heading into next season there seemed to be no clear decision from Rask. Would he play or would he not? Rask has mentioned retirement before.

Bruins fans don’t have to worry (unless they were hoping Rask wouldn’t come back) according to his agent and Don Sweeney, Rask will be back next season.

This should excite Bruins fans. Boston will have their top goaltender back and will be able to compete for a Stanley Cup (even if Torey Krug leaves). Guys like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and David Krejci still have a shot at winning another cup.

Also, Boston needs Rask right now. Jaroslav Halak is aging and there seems to be no heir-apparent for the Bruins. Dan Vladar didn’t exactly put up an inspirational performance in his first NHL game. He could use a few more seasons of maturation whether it be in the NHL or the AHL.

So the Bruins will welcome back Rask with open arms. He deserves to be back in the crease for the black and gold. He is their best option.

All signs point to Rask returning to the Boston Bruins lineup. Fans should expect him to once again be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. With Rask in net, the team is definitley a Stanley Cup contender.