The Boston Bruins season ended abruptly earlier this week. Their record regular season saw them win 65 games and set an NHL record, and they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers before losing three straight and being eliminated in overtime of Game 7. You can expect players to need some time to decompress after such a shocking series loss, and David Krejci is one who will need to take some time to think about his future, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.
The 37-year-old center returned to the NHL after spending one season in Czechia and scored 16 goals and 56 points in 70 games for the Bruins. Benjamin reports that the veteran is already close to making a decision on next season but wants to ensure he takes the proper time before making an announcement. It should not be long before we hear from the pending free agent, but there are only two options as he will either return to the Bruins or retire.
- Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reports Dmitry Orlov also is considering his options for next season already. The 31-year-old defenseman played his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals before being dealt to the Bruins at the trade deadline. He fit in extremely well in Boston, but Porter suggests Orlov is looking to return to Washington next season when he becomes a free agent in July.
- One player who sounds more ready to stay in Boston is veteran forward Nick Foligno. He just wrapped up the final year of his two-year contract with the Bruins but Porter reports Foligno is interested in returning. The 35-year-old winger feels he still has a lot left to offer and is a big part of the team. He would have to take a significant pay cut after earning $3.8MM the past two seasons and scoring twn goals and 26 points in 60 games, but he can still contribute in a fourth line role.
I’d take all 3 of them back but on cheaper contracts except maybe Orlov I’d give him a lil more but he too didn’t show up in the playoffs sadly the only one that did was Hall
Bertuzzi?
Orlov had 8 points bud
Orlov and Foligno will be asking for to much money. Orlov wants to return to Washington, he said it in an interview. Foligno will have to take $1 million maximum to stay do to the bonuses for Bergeron and Krejci come out of this year’s cap money.
I know the Bruins have Restricted Free Agents to make offers to like Swayman, Frederic, Lauko, Keyser, Bussi, DiPietro, Koppanen and McLaughlin. Unrestricted Free Agents they will want to try to bring back are obviously Bergeron, Krejci, Nosek, Hathaway, Clifton and if possible Bertuzzi, however Bertuzzi is looking for a increase from $4,750,000, Orlov is at $5,100,000 and is looking for a raise as well and Foligno was making $3,800,000 a year. I’m saying financially it doesn’t make sense to bring Foligno, Orlov and Bertuzzi back, besides Bertuzzi isn’t sure he wants to return to Boston as he stated in an interview.
Krejci played for $1,000,000 plus bonuses and Bergeron played for $2,500,000 plus bonuses. Now if they both retire then Zacha, Coyle, Frederic, Nosek or Koppanen are your centers. Unless Trevor Kuntar, Georgii Merkulov or Vinni Lettieri take the next step up to the NHL. I can’t see any of the 3 Orlov, Foligno and Bertuzzi financially being able to stay. I believe Lohrei will be on the team next year. He is 22 and has excelled at every level. Love the Bruins. Counting down the days to next season.
Foligno is a glorified mascot at this point & I wouldn’t want him back at any price. I know he desperately wants to be Bergeron, but at least Bergeron produces on the ice.
Vinni Letteri isn’t that young, idk what “next step” he could do other than AHL
Lettieri isn’t in the Bruins long term plans. Steen, Merkulov, Lysell & McLaughlin are all ahead of him. Don’t see him making the team next season even with a lot of turnover
Foligno was okay this season, not worth $3.5 million, but defintiely better than last season. I’d probably move on from him, but if he was willing to sign for the league minimum, then maybe I’d consider keeping him
There’s considerable talk about the Bruins not bringing Clifton back; he was soft much of the latter part of the season. Bertuzzi certainly played his way out of anything Boston will be able to afford, being one of the few guys who showed up in the playoffs. As far as Hathaway goes, well … he did play well in his role, but that’s one in which they’re going to want to bring someone up for league minimum and close to.
Here’s my unfortunate prediction: Boston doesn’t hang on to Swayman. The issue is plain: there’s a near-total lack of top-drawer free agent goaltending: it’s basically him and Gustavsson. Someone may well give him an offer sheet, but the bottom line is this: will the Bruins commit all that much $$$ to netminders, when they already have the Vezina winner under contract for two more years at $5 MM AAV?
All the old players have to go!!!!!!! Speed kills, It’s time for the Bruins to get younger and faster.
I’m not sure Washington is going to want to bring Orlov back. They couldn’t come to an agreement before the deadline & that’s why they moved him. The Caps are looking to add to their forward corps & I think it is far more like for them to give a big contract there than on the blue line. Don’t see them giving Orlov what he’ll likely get on the open market.
Besides which given how Orlov played for Boston after the trade, someone’s going to overpay the hell out of him. Boston doesn’t have the money, so it’s just going to be a race to see who’s the biggest idiot.