The Boston Bruins have a lot of questions to address this offseason, and have to make some moves in order to make another run at the Stanley Cup.
Kevan Miller announced his retirement Wednesday, leaving some holes to fill on the blue line. Shortly after Miller's retirement surfaced, news broke that the Bruins signed Brandon Carlo to a six-year contract extension.
While locking up Carlo was crucial, there still are voids on defense left behind by Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, on top of the younger D-men not living up to expectations and Steven Kampfer heading to the KHL. Offensively, there are a number of unrestricted free agents (David Krejci and Taylor Hall included) that Boston should make a priority if it wants its core to have a chance at its first Stanley Cup since 2011.
We can't forget about the upcoming expansion draft, and other attractive free agents that are on the open market.
Of course, the Bruins need money to shell out to free agents, and with Carlo's recent extension, it's fair to wonder just what their salary cap situation looks like.
Twitter user bruinscapspace broke it down for everyone:
So, about $25 million to spend this offseason to help build a Stanley Cup-caliber team.
There is a lot of unknown at the moment, including the futures of Krejci and Tuukka Rask, who revealed he'll need surgery to repair a torn hip labrum and won't be ready until February. The goalie also said he has no plans to play anywhere other than Boston.
Buckle up, Bruins fans, it should be a busy offseason.
