The Boston Bruins firmly are focused on the present, but the future is fast approaching.
ESPN's Kristen Shilton believes the Bruins' championship window and the futures of their leading forwards together represent Boston's "biggest decision on tap" for the summer. With two weeks remaining in the 2021-22 regular season, the Bruins have positioned themselves for a credible pursuit of the Stanley Cup Finals. The "perfection line" isn't getting any younger, though, and talk of the team's "championship window" might grow in volume.
"Is this the last real chance for Boston's core to win a Cup?" Shilton wrote Tuesday in her weekly NHL Power Rankings column. "Patrice Bergeron (age 36) is a pending UFA with an uncertain future. Brad Marchand is 33. There are young guys in the Bruins' system knocking on the door for opportunity. How much will Boston have to lean into the franchise's next generation -- and even a new direction -- after these playoffs? GM Don Sweeney could be in for a few sleepless nights."
NHL observers have been discussing the Bruins' core for years, so Shilton's assertion shouldn't surprise anyone. However, summer 2022 will be an inflection point, as Bergeron, 36, prepares to determine how long to extend his Boston tenure and NHL career. His decision also might impact Marchand's future and that of the Bruins' top line, 2/3 of which they comprise.
This offseason is bound to be an interesting one in Boston, but there are plenty of other issues for the Bruins community to ponder before the team reaches that point.
