In this edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, Patrice Bergeron was named the winner of the Selke Trophy for a record-setting fifth time on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, both Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk underwent shoulder surgeries this past Friday and are expected to miss the start of the 2022-23 season. In other news, David Krejci is taking some time to decide on his future and hasn’t ruled out an NHL return. Last but not least, speculation is continuing to swirl over what lies ahead for general manager Don Sweeney as well as head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Bergeron Wins Fifth Selke
On Sunday afternoon, the NHL announced that Bergeron was being rewarded the Selke Trophy after yet another very impressive 2021-22 season. While he was up against two great candidates in Elias Lindholm and Aleksander Barkov, the general consensus was that the 37-year-old would once again take home the award. It marks the fifth Selke Trophy of his career, which places him ahead of Bob Gainey for first place in NHL history.
“It’s definitely an honour…I’m humbled. That’s the first word that comes to mind,” Bergeron said. “It is an individual award, but you can’t get those without the help of your teammates. I said that in my acceptance speech – there’s so many people to thank. There’s a reason why. I’ve been fortunate enough to play on great teams and to win five Selkes. It goes to them, obviously. As I said, it’s humbling. It’s the only award I have.”
Despite getting up there in age, this goes to show just how elite of a two-way player Bergeron continues to be. In 73 games this past season, he scored 25 goals and 65 points while also having a plus/minus rating of plus-26. That said, there are rumors swirling that this could have been the last we have seen from him as an NHLer, as he is currently without a contract. Expect to hear more on that situation within the next month.
McAvoy & Grzelcyk Undergo Surgeries
On Friday, the Bruins announced that both McAvoy and Grzelcyk underwent shoulder surgeries and are expected to miss the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign as a result. Another defenceman, Mike Reilly, also underwent a procedure to repair a right ankle tendon as well as the removal of bone fragments, though the expectation is he’ll recover in just three months.
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For McAvoy, his recovery time is approximately six months. The 24-year-old is coming off of the best season of his career, in which he recorded 10 goals and 56 points in 78 contests. Grzeclyk, on the other hand, is being given a recovery time of five months. He struggled with his injury for some time, and as a result, he was out of the Bruins’ lineup for their final few playoff games. In 73 games this past season, he recorded four goals and 24 points.
Krejci Pondering Playing Future
The Bruins entered the 2021-22 season with questions as to who their second line centerman would be, as Krejci chose to play in his home country of Czechia. Despite his decision, there was plenty of speculation that he was considering rejoining the Bruins for a playoff run, though that never came to fruition. By the sounds of things as of late, however, a return for the 2022-23 season hasn’t been ruled out.
Recently, David Pastrnak spent plenty of time with Krejci as the two suited up for the Team Czechia at the 2022 World Championships. During that time, Pastrnak recorded a video in which he asked Krejci if he was returning to Boston. The 36-year-old offered no response but had a big grin on his face, which in itself drew plenty of speculation. He has since commented, saying he has yet to make a decision as to where he will play in 2022-23.
“I’m flying to the USA. I’ll have another beer on the way to celebrate the Bronze, and then I’ll be calmly thinking what to do next,” Krejci said. “There is plenty of time and a lot of possibilities, one of which is very real and the continuation of the Olomouc jersey.”
For those unaware, Olomouc was who Krejci spent the 2021-22 season with, one in which he scored 20 goals and 46 points in 51 games, both of which led the team. Prior to leaving the NHL, he spent 14 seasons with the Bruins, managing an impressive 215 goals and 730 points in 962 games.
Future of Sweeney & Cassidy Remains Uncertain
Weeks ago, Bruins president Cam Neely seemed optimistic that the team would work out a new contract with Sweeney. Since making those comments, however, it appears there hasn’t been any progress when it comes to a new deal, causing some to question whether or not the team may choose to part ways with the 55-year-old.
If they do indeed choose to move on from Sweeney, it would end what has been a seven-year tenure for him in the position. On top of that, not bringing back Sweeney could spell the end of Cassidy, who has been the club’s head coach since part way through the 2016-17 campaign. Neely seemed to suggest weeks ago that a change may be needed, comments that were seemingly directed at Cassidy. To this point, however, no such changes have been announced.
Looking Ahead for the Bruins
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs still ongoing, we likely won’t hear much news in terms of players over the coming weeks. That may not be the case for both Sweeney and Cassidy, however, as the organization will likely make decisions on before the draft, which takes place on July 7-8. What they choose to do with those two would likely indicate whether they are interested in making another run at a Stanley Cup or are entering a retooling period.
