How the Boston Bruins get back to the Stanley Cup Final

As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention, we'll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2018-19, along with three keys to its offseason, impact prospects for 2019-20 and a way-too-early prediction for what next season will hold.

How the season ended

This was a team that rolled through two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a ruthless efficiency after getting sent to the brink in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs. They needed six games to eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets, who eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in four. They needed four games to oust the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals. They were rolling four lines and Tuukka Rask was impenetrable. The Bruins won their third Eastern Conference title since 2011.

So what went wrong in completing their mission against the St. Louis Blues? It's more a matter of what went right for their opponents. The Blues' ability to handle adversity -- steadying their ship after a 7-2 thrashing at home in Game 3 -- helped. Their physicality, wearing down opponents to the tune of an 8-2 record after Game 4s in each series, was key in winning the 5-on-5 battle. And, yeah, they got a little lucky in that missed tripping call on the game-winning goal of Game 5, where the series took a turn for the Bruins. And after a dominant 5-1 win in St. Louis to force a Game 7, the Bruins were stymied by Jordan Binnington in the final showdown.

Of course, had their heralded top line and second-line center produced more at even strength, this would have been a different series. But that was also a case where the Blues deserve kudos.

So has the window closed for the Bruins after this run? Not quite.

Keys to the offseason

Know that the window remains open. The Bruins remain a team that's in that sweet spot of having veterans still in their prime -- though the clock is ticking -- and a collection of young players making up the supporting cast. Yes, Patrice Bergeron is turning 34, David Krejci is 32 and Zdeno Chara ... well, we're pretty sure he's made of vibranium so it doesn't matter how old he is. But they're supported by players in their prime (Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask) and a slew of players 26 and under (David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Jake DeBrusk). There's no reason they would be one and done as a Cup contender. Especially because odds are good they can start their next playoff run with a first-round "bye" against the Leafs.

Get even younger. Urho Vaakanainen might not have been ripe for the Stanley Cup Final, but the young defenseman has a ton of potential. Top forward prospect Jack Studnicka was around the team in the playoffs as a last-resort option, and they're quite high on him. The Bruins love to patch over lineup holes from within, and they'll have homegrown options.

Re-sign Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Both players are coming off their first NHL contracts, and both players will be in line for significant raises. Carlo, 22, anchors their second pairing with Torey Krug and is a reliable defensive defenseman. McAvoy, 21, is on their top pairing with Zdeno Chara and is considered one of the NHL's premiere young defensemen. Torey Krug ($5.25 million average annual value) is the Bruins' highest-paid defenseman. Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad ($7.5 million AAV) could be an interesting comparison for McAvoy, having signed his eight-year deal around the same age. Speaking of Krug...

Explore a Krug trade to bolster the wing. The Bruins have never shied away from moving a key defenseman if his price tag gets unwieldy (see: Hamilton, Dougie) and Krug is one year away from unrestricted free agency. Understand that moving him would come at a great cost to Boston, as he quarterbacks their incredibly successful power play. They don't want to turn that unit over to McAvoy; could Matt Grzelcyk be a suitable replacement? But there's a potential benefit in moving Krug, which is what the Bruins could get back. They're still searching for that second-line winger to play with DeBrusk and Krejci, now that it appears Coyle will be slotted as a center. Krug is, by far, their best chip to play in a trade. A dozen teams would covet that kind of special-teams ace.

Consider a David Backes buyout. By the end of the Stanley Cup Final, David Backes was (in his words) holding the pom-poms in the press box. The Bruins could try to move him, as he has a limited no-trade clause. Or they could buy him out. Here are the specifics on that from Cap Friendly, as Backes has two years left at $6 million annually.

Impact prospects for 2019-20

Connor Clifton, D, age 23: The Bruins will have built-in defensive depth thanks to the play of Clifton, who earned his way onto the team's playoff roster. He appeared in 19 NHL games during the regular season, but spent most of the season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL. Clifton's game has grown a lot in the past 12 months. He has some dynamic abilities on the back end, and while he's average sized, he plays with a lot of tenacity and grit. Getting control of taking penalties will be something to watch. Having viewed Clifton in the AHL toward the end of the season, you can see how much his confidence has grown with the puck during the playoffs. The Bruins have gotten a spectacular value already. He's at least earned himself a chance to stick in the bottom pairing conversation heading into next season.

Karson Kuhlman, RW, age 23: Kuhlman earned a late call-up and has played in the playoffs with the Bruins -- including a goal in Game 6 -- making a case that he'll be a full-timer as early as next season. Signed as an undrafted free agent last spring, Kuhlman plays the game at a high pace and has the tenacity to fight for his chances. He had 30 points in 58 games as an AHL rookie as well. The speed and ability to play with pace is going to give him a chance to find a role in the NHL next season.

Trent Frederic, C, age 21: With strength and versatility, Frederic could very well bully his way into a depth lineup position next season. He appeared in 15 games with the Bruins this season, but did not register a point. Frederic had 25 points in 55 AHL games during his first full professional campaign. The Bruins may want him to hone his offensive game some more in the AHL before making him a full-time NHLer, but his hockey sense and grit may give him a chance to contend for a spot in camp.

Realistic expectations for 2019-20

Stay the course. It's a lesson the Bruins actually applied to previous teams, like the 2011 team that eventually won the Stanley Cup and overcame that reverse sweep from the Flyers in 2010. This is a solid hockey team that still has the pieces for a championship, and a coach in Bruce Cassidy who's proven he can lead it close to one. No one should be happy with being runner-up. Augment this personnel properly, and they won't have to be content with that next season.