The Boston Bruins rewrote the National Hockey League record books this season, winning 65 regular season games and entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the bonafide favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately for them, the tough lesson of enjoying regular season success meaning absolutely nothing once the playoffs begin was theirs to learn this spring, as they were stunned in seven games by the Eventual eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers.
The job now begins for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney as well as team president Cam Neely as to constructing what next season's team will look like, and it will almost certainly be decidedly different than the squad that skated off the TD Garden ice in shocked defeat on April 30.
For one, veterans Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have given no indication that they will return for one more season. Meanwhile, pending free agents like Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi could elect to seek greener pastures - that is, getting more green in their wallets.
And right now, according to Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, he's the highest rated pending free agent and is going to earn the highest AAV of any of his peers set to hit the open market:
He scored four goals with 17 points after his arrival from the Washington Capitals, while also adding eight assists in the seven postseason games.
Recommended articles:
- Dmitry Orlov appears to be done with the Boston Bruins.
- Bruins abort monster trade before they turned to Dmitry Orlov
- Bruins acquire Orlov in three team trade
- More negative publicity for the Capitals, courtesy of Dmitry Orlov's wife.
Recommended articles:
