NHL Rumors: 3 Boston Bruins who won’t be on the roster next season

Bruins who won’t be on the roster next season: 3. Patrice Bergeron

It is likely the end of an era for Patrice Bergeron. The elite two-way center is the Bruins’ captain. After 19 seasons in Boston, Bergeron is expected to retire this offseason. He will be 38 this summer. While nothing is official yet, signs are pointing towards Bergeron calling it a career.

During exit interviews, Bergeron expressed that it was too early to make a decision about next season. Team president Cam Neely recently acknowledged that the Bruins are giving Bergeron the time he needs to decide where he’s at, but as of now, the organization is planning as if he won’t be back.

At the 2023 NHL Awards, Bergeron won his sixth Selke Trophy, the award for the forward who excels in defensive skills. In 2022-23, Bergeron showed that he still has some gas left in the tank. He tallied 27 goals and 31 assists during the regular season. He blocked 54 shots, made 66 hits, and had 38 takeaways. He won 61.1% of his faceoffs. The veteran didn’t let his age slow him down.

The Bruins saw a disappointing end to their historic season with a Round 1 playoff exit, so one has to wonder if that will be incentive for Bergeron to make one more run. If he does decide to play in 2023-24, it surely would be with the Bruins. He might decide to push through one more year and take a team-friendly deal to stay with his long-time team. If this it for Bergeron, he surely had a career to be proud of.

Don’t expect these three players to be back with the Bruins next season.