NHL trade rumors have floated around for quite sometime about the Boston Bruins and what their future holds.
Will they look to rebuild the team and have a few years of pain or continue to build a Stanley Cup winner with the likes of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Jeremy Swayman.
The above question will really depend on what Pasrtnak decides to do. Does he want to sign long-term or get traded as the Bruins will not let Pastrnak leave for nothing when he is a free agent next summer.
GM Don Sweeney and Pasta’s agency have said that there is mutual interest in giving him a long term deal to keep him with the Bruins as long as possible. But we all know, not everything you hear is true.
Brad Marchand will be out until December after undergoing surgery on both his hips when the Bruins season ended. Who knows how he will come back?
McAvoy is out until Christmas after undergoing left shoulder surgery in June.
With two of their star players out for an extended period of time this coming NHL season, this could affect their playoff chances and with Patrice Bergeron likely playing in his last season, will a losing season affect Pastrnak’s decision?
Hall and Marchand are past their primes and with the Bruins being so good for the past number of years, they have no elite studs in development. Will Pastrnak want to play on a Bruins team that will likely struggle the next couple of years.
Auston Matthews will likely re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs when his current contract expires, making the Leafs, Florida Panthers and the up and coming Ottawa Senators as the top three teams in the Atlantic division in the coming years. The Tampa Bay Lightning might have a few years left before their aging stars can no longer play at an elite level. The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are not too far behind.
Can the Bruins compete with the mentioned teams above in a few years?
It will be interesting to see what Pastrnak decides to do?
