Krejci’s rules out mid-season return
His decision shouldn’t alter B’s plans ... yet
The idea of David Krejci returning to the Bruins for a playoff run next spring always seemed like something of a pipe dream. Now it’s a dead dream.
And it makes one wonder what, if anything, the Bruins will do now to address that fact.
What would our course of action be? Hold ’em, for now at least.
In case you missed it, Krejci met with reporters that cover his new Czech Extraliga team HC Olomouc on Monday and when the subject of possibly returning to the B’s before the 2021-22 season ends — a notion to which both GM Don Sweeney and coach Bruce Cassidy had left a door open — Krejci rather emphatically nixed that.
“I will stay in Olomouc all season,” Krejci told reporters (via Google Translate). “I signed a one-year contract. I’m not dealing with what’s next at all at the moment, but returning to Boston in the spring is definitely not in the game.”
Since the end of the season, Krejci has been straightforward and honest as he struggled with what was a difficult decision to go back home, so there’s no reason to doubt him now that he’s seemingly become more comfortable in that decision. It’s time for the Bruins to move on, mentally and spiritually, from one of their all-time great centermen.
But while we feel there should not be another major preseason move to cope with Krejci not returning, there will need to be some cold, hard evaluation of this team between now and, say, Christmas.
While Sweeney may have been holding out hope that Krejci would return and fit snugly in the second-line center spot next to Taylor Hall, he did make some arrangements for this situation. He signed free agents Tomas Nosek, Erik Haula and Nick Foligno, all left shots who can play center and wing, the latter two of whom will be candidates to move into the third-line center slot (Haula is the best bet for that role). Youngster Jack Studnicka, looking like he’s considerably buffed up his narrow frame, should be in that mix as well.
That would bump up Charlie Coyle to Krejci’s spot between Hall and Craig Smith. Coyle deserves a good, long look there. In fact, it would sure seem like that had been the succession plan when the B’s signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $5.25 million per season in November 2019. That is not the contract of a third-line center, even if the deal was struck before COVID and the growth of the salary cap came to a screeching halt for the foreseeable future.
What gives fans understandable pause is the disappointing season Coyle had in 2020-21, in which he was limited to just six goals and 10 assists in 51 games. But there are mitigating circumstances to that output. He played for much of the season on an injured knee that needed to be surgically repaired in the offseason. With Coyle presumably healthy and with a chance to play with a bona fide impact winger like Hall, it’s not the worst bet in the world that the 29-year-old comes in and has his best season as a Bruin. He’s certainly positioned to do that and, if Coyle can provide the requisite production at 2C, that would allow what should be an improved bottom six to flourish.
But while Coyle may need time to grow into his new role, the ticking of the Bruins’ championship clock will sound like the pounding of a bass drum if things aren’t going well through the first couple months of the season.
And if it’s not going well? Then the B’s will have little choice but to explore trade options for a second-line center, and their best chip remains Jake DeBrusk. But DeBrusk, too, needs time to show both the Bruins and/or any potential buyers that his 5-9-14 point total from last season was an aberration. It would be a mistake for the B’s to sell low on him now. And who knows? Maybe he bounces back to the point that the future RFA’s $4.85 million qualifying offer due after this season won’t seem so onerous and the B’s can look to move another asset. That would be the best-case scenario for all involved.
But as we sit here now, less than a month before the start of training camp, there’s a lot of wishing and hoping attached to the ’21-22 season. All we know now is that the hope of a David Krejci return is no longer on the table.