As hockey season approaches, I wanted to take a look at a pressing matter for a team that was on the cusp of history this past year. The 2018-19 Bruins were an incredible team. The way they played down the stretch during the season, and mostly through the playoffs was storybook material.
Unfortunately for every Black and Gold fan out there, Jenna Fischer and her fairytale Blues had other plans. I guess I finally have to concede that the Blues won the Cup. *Cough cough* Congrats, I guess. All joking aside, St. Louis had one of the most unlikely turnarounds not only in NHL history, but in sports history. So hats off.
Now to my real story. The B’s have themselves a situation this season that they haven’t had in awhile. They have two, STUD defenseman that are set to get PAID. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo are already stars, but their further development with the Bruins is in jeopardy. Don Sweeny only has 7.29 million dollars in cap space, and the season is fast approaching. Interesting predicament for a team that just transferred ownership from the Jacob’s Patriarch to his 6 children. This will undoubtedly be the first test of the new Jacobian era in Boston. Hopefully a move like dumping the Backes contract, or making some smaller moves will free up enough cap space to sign the future of the squad.
Now that the Bruins are back practicing as a squad, Sweeny needs to act fast. The core of this team only has so much longer before it will dissolve. Zdeno Chara is 42, and his prime is way behind him. Patrice Bergeron is 34, and is approaching what could be the end of his career if his injuries persist. Tuukka Rask is one mental breakdown away from the boot. (Yes, he was stellar in the playoffs, however he couldn’t close it out, a common theme for this B’s netminder.)
Overall, these Bruins have a monumental task ahead of them. The first step in the recovery process from such a heartbreaking loss is to secure your future. Hopefully they can do that soon with the signings of McAvoy and Carlo. If the team can somehow finagle their way into signing both, the Bruins might just have a future yet.
