Boston Bruins offseason off to the worst start possible
By Ryan Whitley
In what has now developed into an unsettling trend this offseason, the Boston Bruins shook their fanbase yesterday with yet another Friday afternoon news-dump.
Last week, the Bruins wished their fans a Happy Memorial Day by informing them that star winger Brad Marchand underwent surgery on both hips and will be out until at least December. This week, the B’s sent us into the weekend by letting us know that Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, and Mike Reilly all also had surgery and will be out for months as well.
Boston Bruins in big trouble next year
For years, Boston’s team has been known as the Big, Bad Bruins. Well, next year they might be exactly that. Still big, but definitely bad.
Take one look at the roster the B’s have heading into next year, and you’ll immediately see that it’s a complete mess. No first line, an underachieving bottom six, and hardly any healthy defensemen. This team is going to have so many holes that they would make Swiss cheese jealous.
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As I mentioned, the B’s will be lucky to have Brad Marchand back before 2023. Jake DeBrusk still wants to be traded, even after playing well down the stretch. Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo will likely start the year as the Bruins top D pair, but who do they have after that? It’s a total disaster.
And we all know that Patrice Bergeron, the key to this whole organization staying relevant, is on the fence about returning for another run. If he takes a step back and looks at the wreckage around him, could anyone really fault Bergeron for deciding that he’s all set and stepping away?
Boston Bruins trying to bury bad news
Two weeks, two Friday news-drops designed to hide from the accountability and questions that come with bad news. At this rate, don’t be surprised if one (or both) of Don Sweeney and Bruce Cassidy get canned next Friday, when all of New England will be focused on the Boston Celtics and Game 4 of the NBA Finals later that evening.
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And why are they doing it? Because the Bruins front office knows that this may very well be the end of this run, and they want to delay the inevitable as long as possible. But they can’t hide forever. Eventually, they’ll have to do something about the rapid decline of this roster.
In theory, all these injuries could help the Bruins. They could take a page from the Tampa Bay Lightning playbook, stash them all on LTIR and sign real replacements to keep the team afloat while their stars heal. But will they be willing to hand out that cash after spending freely last summer? And what would they do with those players once Marchand, McAvoy, and company are ready to return?
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If things don’t change this summer, the Bruins are going to look like a completely different team next year. For years, we’ve known that the B’s championship window was a year-to-year proposition. And by the looks of things, it would be a major surprise if it remains open for next season.