The Bruins have some big shoes to fill in the absence of David Krejci.
The longtime second-line center left Boston to return to his native Czech Republic and play in front of his family. What was interesting about Krejci's statement, though, was that he never said he retired, just that he was heading home.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney revealed they were leaving the door open should Krejci want to return, and head coach Bruce Cassidy essentially said the same thing during an appearance on NHL Network's "NHL Tonight."
"We're gonna miss Krech," Cassidy said. "Obviously a veteran guy that played real well in the playoffs, but again we don't know his future either. He hasn't retired, he's going back to Czech to play -- family reasons -- and we respect that. But who knows down the road, he may wanna come back and I'm sure there will be a conversation if that's the case."
That's probably music to Bruins' fans ears, given how much Krejci contributed to the team over the course of his 15 years in Black and Gold.
At the very least, they need to plan for the upcoming season without him, and even though there are options, Krejci's absence certainly will be felt.
