On Wednesday night the Bruins season came to an end in a rather inglorious fashion.
With a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, they were denied a chance at glory as St. Louis celebrated a championship at TD Garden. Although it was far from the ending this team envisioned, the future remains bright. While the Bruins will have many contracts to hand out, a young core still remains. How Don Sweeney adds to it will determine if this team returns to the Stanley Cup finals next season. Fortunately, he has a good starting group to work with.
Next season, the offense will again be led by veterans Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. They will be complemented by David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk, who both took positive steps forward in 2019. Pastrnak emerged as one of the game’s brightest stars in a breakout campaign. They will likely be joined by Karson Kuhlman, who was productive during his rookie season.
In Kuhlman’s limited action, he was smart with the puck and played at a high pace. Kuhlman made his impact felt as he provided a spark to the Bruins’ offense. In his sophomore campaign, he will look to establish himself as an important part of this team’s future.
Additionally, the Bruins will again be deep on the blue line as they focus on re-signing Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Even though their futures remain uncertain, the Bruins still have Matt Grzelcyk, who was an important piece during the Bruins playoff run.
The B’s were decimated by injuries early in the season, and Grzelcyk stepped up. When the BU product missed four games in the Stanley Cup finals, the Bruins puck movement suffered, showing his importance. Assuming Carlo and McAvoy re-sign, Grzelcyk will still be asked to fill a key role.
Furthermore, the Bruins have a deep AHL system filled with promising young players. Some could make an impact next year in the form of highly touted prospects in Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, and Jeremy Lauzon. Vaakanien and Lauzon saw limited action in the NHL last season and made good first impressions.
With much of the Bruin blueline uncertain, their development will be key. The Bruins also have Connor Clifton, who has quickly become a fan favorite. His solid play in the regular season translated to the playoffs where he continued to proved that he belonged in the NHL.
In order for the Bruins to return to the finals they will need more than just their young core to produce. After a tough Finals the trio of Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak will need to be at there best. Resiging Carlo and McAvoy will be key as they are not easy to replace. Sweeney does however have alot of talent waiting in the wings regardless of how the offseason plays out.
Come opening night, this roster could look very different. The Bruins will be popular in the rumor mill throughout the summer as Don Sweeney looks to improve the roster. This team, however, is once again well positioned for another postseason run.
Losing the Stanley Cup leaves a bitter taste, and it is a feeling that this team will never forget. Although it is the toughest lesson to learn, the Bruins young core will be hungrier than ever entering next season.
