Bruce Cassidy Discusses Torey Krug’s Departure From Bruins: ‘Gonna Miss Him A Lot’

Torey Krug’s absence will leave a bit of a hole on the Boston Bruins’ blue line.

But Bruce Cassidy knows his team will need to adapt the “next man up” mentality going into next season.

Krug, as we’re sure you’ve heard by now, signed a seven-year deal with the St. Louis Blues. And while Boston certainly has defensive depth, it will miss the offensive game Krug also brought.

Cassidy sat down with NBC10’s Raul Martinez on Thursday and touched on what Krug meant to the B’s and how they’ll approach his departure.

“Gonna miss him a lot,” Cassidy said. “Personally I’ve had Torey since he was a first-year pro down in Providence. So I build a relationship with him not only as a player but as a person. He gave a lot of good years to the Bruins’ crest, can’t thank him enough for that. I think this is just one of those business decisions that happens in sports where players move on. … At the end of the day we have to get ready for the sort of next man up mentality.”

With Krug gone, fellow defenseman Matt Grzelcyk knows there is an opportunity for him to step up, especially on the offensive side of the puck.

It’s unclear exactly when the 2020-21 NHL season will begin, though the league is targeting Jan. 1. But we’re sure fans will be anxious for the schedule to be released to see if the Bruins and Blues will clash.