Boston Bruins: Three important players they might lose in a year

The Boston Bruins already have pressing issues with new contracts to dish out and it only looks set to get worse next summer.

The Boston Bruins are slowly approaching the 2019-20 season. Last year, the Bruins lost the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. More than the hockey stuff, the Bruins fans and media have been concerned about off-ice issues, contracts and such, during the off-season.

The Bruins have to start turning the page, the performances on the ices shouldn’t be the issue, luckily for them. However, there are many questions still in need of answers ahead of the new season.

The Boston Bruins still wait on both their remaining restricted free agents, Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo to ink their new deals. After the Bruins manage to re-sign both of their young defensemen, they can fully focus on the hockey challenges in the next season.

Nevertheless, the Boston Bruins have to start to think about what might happen during the next season, and the off-season as well, trade-wise and personnel-wise.

It’s better that the 2020 free agents are on the Boston Bruins radar sooner rather than later, as the group is quite sizeable; Jake Debrusk,  Charlie Coyle, Torey Krug, Joakim Nordstrom, Jaroslav Halak, Brett Ritchie, Matt Grzelcyk and Chris Wagner.

That’s a whole lot of the important players, all active on the current Boston Bruins roster. We look at a key trio that we view as most likely not to start the 2020-21 season in the Boston Bruins uniform.

Torey Krug

Torey Krug has collected 163 points over the past three seasons. That’s the fifth-best result among NHL defensemen in the mentioned period. Unfortunately, it also makes him an expensive option should the Boston Bruins seek to renew him.

Firstly, the Bruins would love to extend Torey Krug. Secondly, he would be thrilled to stay in Boston. Thirdly, the Bruins should consider Krug’s extension as their top priority.

There is one big difference between his situation in a year and the present situation with McAvoy or Carlo; Krug is an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Bruins have to get Krug’s extension done before July 1 next year. How much would Krug demand? It’s believed the 28-year-old defenseman might seek at least $8 million per season on a long-term deal.

Projecting the 2020 off-season, the Bruins will have approximately $34 million in the salary cap space. That’s without McAvoy and Carlo inked, of course. If the Boston Bruins assume they won’t have enough cap space to re-sign Krug, they won’t want to lose him for nothing next summer.

However, would they consider a trade?

That’s not all that probable, because Krug is a very vital part of this team and the Boston Bruins would miss him during their expected route to the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. In the worst case scenario; if the Bruins somehow become a struggling team, a trade might become more plausible but that’s an improbable scenario, surely.

With the Boston Bruins salary cap situation pretty tight, it’s clear Krug would find a suitor offering him more money than the Boston Bruins next summer.

Nonetheless, Torey Krug has previously stated that he wants to stay in Boston and that he loves the Bruins. For now, both parties will likely find common ground, though it might require Krug to take a discounted rate.

Charlie Coyle

Charlie Coyle’s short tenure with the Boston Bruins has been a huge success. His $3.2 million per year salary cap hit is not something that negatively affects the team. However, Coyle will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

For now, the Bruins would like to keep the 27-year-old forward for the next season. But with the salary cap situation being tight, again, with McAvoy and Carlo unsigned, the Bruins might, shockingly, turn their attention to trading Coyle.

After his fine run with the Bruins during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, if the Weymouth native continues to impress and run the Bruins third line, his price might only get higher. That’s good news for him certainly, but not for Boston next summer. What might they want to do with Coyle in 2020?

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Re-signing the then 28 year-old versatile forward would be a good idea. However, Coyle will be a highly sought after commodity on the free-agent market. He will want a long-term deal and would undoubtedly seek a pay rise.

Let’s say if Coyle demands a six-year deal worth $5 million per season, are the Boston Bruins giving it to him?

Having a lovely homecoming at a deal worth $3.2 million per season for one and a half year is great, but what about the future?

Krug’s case is different, the Bruins will look into extending him first. Nevertheless, the odds of Charlie Coyle being traded during the 2019-20 season are likely higher than trading Torey Krug. There is not as much mutual history between the two parts.

There is no guarantee that the hometown hero remains a Boston Bruins player come October 2020. None at all.