Cam Neely Believes David Krejci Wants To Be Known As ‘Playoff Performer’

David Krejci has been making a name for himself over the course of his 13-year career in Boston.

The Bruins second-line center had a strong 2018-19 season that saw him score 20 goals and rack up 53 assists for 73 points on the year, tying a career-high.

Krejci has fought through injuries over the years but remained healthy in 2018 throughout the regular season and Boston’s Stanley Cup playoff run. He also managed to have one of his best seasons with a revolving door of wingers.

The 33-year-old historically has played his best hockey in the postseason, but the Krejci Bruins fans are used to seeing didn’t show up as the team was propelled by the bottom-six in its eventual Game 7 Stanley Cup loss to the St. Louis Blues.

There were question marks regarding Krejci’s future in Black and Gold once reports broke the B’s were trying to pursue then-free agent John Tavares. He admitted he was uneasy about all the talk, but received some high praise from Cam Neely.

“I thought David had a fantastic year. He had a really strong year,” the Bruins president said in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston. “I think he’s a guy that’s generally been a playoff performer and wants to be known as a playoff player … not just a regular-season player.

“To your point, I think we’ve got some centermen in our pipeline. But to step up to be a No. 2 in the National Hockey League, they are not quite there yet. And David is filling that role quite nicely for us.”

Krejci will be entering his 14th season with the club when the puck drops on Opening Night in October. And it’s probably a safe bet to assume the center will be looking to build off last year and make another run at Lord Stanley.