It’s too bad we didn’t get to see this Boston Bruins team at full strength in the playoffs, because there was potential for it to make a run. But injuries and depth are all part of the Stanley Cup equation, and the Bruins had issues with both.
David Krejci was knocked out of Game 5 with a lower-body injury and missed all of Game 6, being added to a list of banged-up Bruins that included Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo. Ultimately, it was more than the Bruins could overcome, getting knocked out by the Senators in six games.
The expectations in Boston are higher than winning two games in the playoffs, regardless of the injuries, so general manager Don Sweeney will be focused on improving this team moving forward.
Here are his priorities this offseason:
1. Make a decision on interim coach Bruce Cassidy
It’s hard to judge the job Cassidy did in the playoffs because of all the injuries, but he has a strong relationship with Sweeney and got the team into the postseason, likely earning the permanent job in the process.
The wild card will be if the Bruins feel there’s an upgrade available. Two Stanley Cup-winning coaches have recently hit the market with the firing of Dan Bylsma in Buffalo and Darryl Sutter in Los Angeles. Those are high-end coaches who weren’t available when Cassidy was initially tabbed, and they will be part of the decision-making process.
2. A contract extension for David Pastrnak
Pastrnak is a restricted free agent coming off a monster third season, scoring 34 goals and registering 70 points in 75 games this season. There was no crazy shooting percentage to be concerned with, it was just a 20-year-old kid coming into his own.
By waiting this long, his price has gone up, and his numbers are comparable to a guy like Filip Forsberg, who signed a six-year deal worth $36 million last June following a season similar to Pastrnak’s. That should give a good framework for the two sides to bang out an extension.
3. Add another defenseman
The fact that Charlie McAvoy came in fresh out of Boston University and played as prominent a role as he did on the Bruins defense in the playoffs says a lot about the talented 19-year-old. He’s a stud who will be an important part of that defense for a long time.
It also says a lot about the depth on that defense.
Impending unrestricted free agent Kevin Shattenkirk has long been connected with the Bruins, and they’d be smart to at least see what the asking price is there with Zdeno Chara nearing the end of his career. The better solution might be to trade for a defenseman with a lower price tag and shorter term to help bridge the transition to the young defensemen in the system.