After yet another disappointing finish for the Boston Bruins, fans are once again left wondering what the next step should be. The Bruins once again came within one win of the postseason. However, unlike last year, it was in their control. All they had to do was win their last game of the season and they were in. But they blew it, which is a painful fact for Bruins fans. The team has continued to bask in the lackluster glow of mediocrity, and as Bruins fans we have to ask the question: even after all the changes of last offseason, do we need even more additions by subtraction?
Last year the Bruins sent RFA Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames, and Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings. The Bruins received first round picks that, including their own, resulted in three consecutive picks in the middle of the first round. These picks, so far, haven’t helped Boston in any way, and the team is in desperate need of help on the blue line. One of the main issues this team faced was its lack of depth and talent on the back end, which was the team’s forte just a few years ago when they were contending for Cups. With Zdeno Chara all but done, and Dennis Seidenberg showing his age even more as well, the Bruins have to start looking in other directions because Torey Krug just isn’t cutting it on defense. These blue line problems exposed another hole, one that most Bruins fans didn’t believe we had and prove more difficult to fix than the ones on defense.
Goaltending is starting to become an issue for the Bruins. Boston Goalie Tuukka Rask is locked into an eight-year 56 million dollar contract, and still has five years left on it. With Rask making around seven million per season, you would expect Vezina Trophy caliber numbers every season, and we got that in his first year in the contract; in fact, he won the Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie). However in the two years since, as our defense gets thinner, Rask has had back-to-back subpar, inconsistent seasons, in games where he just does not come through for the team when they need to be carried. The current state of the Bruins has exposed that the Boston Netminder was protected by a stellar defense, and cannot do for the defense what it once did for him. Unfortunately, it may be time to move on from Rask, and the Bruins have a couple of talented prospects in Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre. However, getting rid of a contract like Tuukka’s is easier said than done.
The Bruins without a doubt have some work to do this offseason. As we all know, we aren’t exactly the most patient fan base in Boston. We expect a championship caliber team every year, and after two years being outside the playoffs, it is time for changes to be made so this team can begin to get back to the level it was at just three short years ago. There are pieces to begin the production of a championship team; however, the work that needs to be done must start sooner rather than later.