The Boston Bruins are in a situation where they aren’t sure if Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci will be returning to their lineup ahead of the 2023-24 season. Regardless of what Don Sweeney knows and what he knows he should do, there’s one thing that is a must on his list of to-do’s. Don Sweeney absolutely needs to acquire a center to provide some stability down the middle in the Bruins lineup.
Ever since I’ve been a little boy, the Boston Bruins have always had Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci as their one-two punch down the middle. While we know as fans that their time would eventually come to an end, both still provided elite-level play throughout their long careers.
Boston’s Had It Good For A Long Time
Bergeron, 38 years old, was selected 45th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. The Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec native has shown consistent play, even playing as a 38-year-old in a game that continues to get faster. Bergeron posted 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 78 games during the Bruins historic 65-win 2022-23 season. Bergeron also won his sixth Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHLs best defensive forward during the 2022-23 season.
Krejci, 37 years old, was selected 63rd overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. Krejci was born in Sternberk, Czech Republic, and put up an impressive showing alongside Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. Krejci scored 16 goals and 40 assists for 56 points in 70 games during the Bruins 65-win season. While Krejci didn’t have an NHL award to go alongside his impressive season, Krejci posted a plus/minus of plus 23. This impressive plus/minus complimented captain Patrice Bergeron’s impressive plus 35, which helped Bergeron secure his sixth Selke trophy.
Boston has developed some strong defensive centerman, but none will ever match the dominance of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. If one or both players decide to retire after long and successful careers, who does Don Sweeney replace them with?
Who Should Don Sweeney Target?
Don Sweeney has a lot of options when it comes to deciding the centermen for the future. He can certainly add duct tape on top of the issue, but that isn’t permanent. If Sweeney didn’t trade his first-round picks, he might have been able to find a legitimate center for the future.
Now, Boston needs to be quite careful when it comes to acquiring a center. Players who quit on their teams when they have to play defense might be out of the discussion. See below who I think would be a cost effective acquisition that Don Sweeney could make.
- Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets)
- Jean-Gabriel Pageau (New York Islanders)
- Elias Lindholm (Calgary Flames)
- Ryan Strome (Anaheim Ducks)
However, despite my original statement on players quitting defensively, some players made need a new coach to break them out of their ways. Scheifele and Lindholm are both going to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2023-24 season. Pageau (UFA 2027) and Strome (UFA 2028) still have term on their contracts.
It remains to be seen if Don Sweeney will have one or both of Bergeron or Krejci back for next season. Though, I think it is time that we start to build a team with new centers.
