**Analysis:** No team in the NHL is likely to take a bigger step back than the Bruins. Bergeron called it a career July 25, and a decision remains to be made by Krejci. Signings at forward indicate management was preparing for both to retire. In addition, the Bruins had a salary cap casualty in Hall and big free-agent losses in Bertuzzi, Orlov and Clifton. Their replacements are nondescript.
The Lucic reunion is a clear pander to a panicked fanbase, trying to throw things back to the 2011 Cup campaign. But Lucic is 35 now and coming off a seven-goal season in Calgary. These days, the bark of his name is far bigger than his actual bite.
“We had a really a good team this year. We had a lot of good players and we had tough decisions to make,” GM Don Sweeney said in July, refuting thoughts the Bruins were entering a rebuild. “We’re still waiting on some decisions. That’s not the goal, stripping things down.”
The Bruins may finally be paying the piper for their stunning incompetence in drafting. In the five drafts from 2018-2022, the only one of Boston’s 27 selections to play a single NHL game has been 2018 third-rounder Jakub Lauko, and he has scored just four goals while playing in only 23 games.
All that said, lots of folks wrote off Boston last season and were proved wrong. The Bruins still have Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman in goal, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm on defense and the trio of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk up front. They remain a borderline playoff team even without Bergeron, but are in danger of becoming just the fourth Presidents’ Trophy winners to miss the playoffs the next season.
## Florida
**Analysis:** When Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson signed with the Sabres last month, he talked openly about the “Stanley Cup tax” the Avalanche paid in injuries lingering from their 2022 run. The Panthers are going through a similar issue. Defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour both required shoulder surgery after the final. Their return dates are uncertain, but could stretch into next season.
Do-it-all forward Matthew Tkachuk suffered a fractured sternum in Game 3 against Vegas, and gutted through Game 4, but sat out the finale. His status for the start of the season also remains uncertain.
“The Florida Panthers are on one of the luckiest runs in Cup history. And perhaps in the playoff history in any of the four major team sports,” Mike Harrington writes.
“We’re going to have a hell of a time making the playoffs next year. That’s a fact,” coach Paul Maurice said when referencing the injuries after the Cup final.
The loss of Gudas takes away a lot of the Panthers’ aggressiveness on the back end. Not having Montour and Ekblad for any length of time is a big dent to their skill quotient. At this stage of their careers, newcomers such as Ekman-Larsson, former Sabre Kulikov, Mikkola and Reilly are journeymen.
Don’t forget the Panthers gave up 273 goals, the most of any playoff team. Only a 6-0 heater late in the regular season by departed backup goalie Lyon got them in the playoffs, and then Sergei Bobrovsky got hot against Boston after a pedestrian 3.07/.901 regular season. Former first-round pick Spencer Knight, who was in the NHLPA Player Assistance program, skated at July development camp and will have to find his game again in goal.
Former Sabre Rodrigues, who had some nice runs in Pittsburgh and Colorado, got a four-year, $12 million contract to join the Panthers on July 1. They remain deep on offense, and he’ll help. But the questions on defense and in goal are real. Come October, that miracle run to the final won’t mean much.
One bummer for the Sabres: No games against the Panthers until February, which means they won’t catch Florida potentially short-handed early in the season.
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## Boston
**Analysis:** No team in the NHL is likely to take a bigger step back than the Bruins. Bergeron called it a career July 25, and a decision remains to be made by Krejci. Signings at forward indicate management was preparing for both to retire. In addition, the Bruins had a salary cap casualty in Hall and big free-agent losses in Bertuzzi, Orlov and Clifton. Their replacements are nondescript.
The Lucic reunion is a clear pander to a panicked fanbase, trying to throw things back to the 2011 Cup campaign. But Lucic is 35 now and coming off a seven-goal season in Calgary. These days, the bark of his name is far bigger than his actual bite.
“We had a really a good team this year. We had a lot of good players and we had tough decisions to make,” GM Don Sweeney said in July, refuting thoughts the Bruins were entering a rebuild. “We’re still waiting on some decisions. That’s not the goal, stripping things down.”
The Bruins may finally be paying the piper for their stunning incompetence in drafting. In the five drafts from 2018-2022, the only one of Boston’s 27 selections to play a single NHL game has been 2018 third-rounder Jakub Lauko, and he has scored just four goals while playing in only 23 games.
All that said, lots of folks wrote off Boston last season and were proved wrong. The Bruins still have Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman in goal, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm on defense and the trio of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk up front. They remain a borderline playoff team even without Bergeron, but are in danger of becoming just the fourth Presidents’ Trophy winners to miss the playoffs the next season.
## Florida
**Analysis:** When Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson signed with the Sabres last month, he talked openly about the “Stanley Cup tax” the Avalanche paid in injuries lingering from their 2022 run. The Panthers are going through a similar issue. Defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour both required shoulder surgery after the final. Their return dates are uncertain, but could stretch into next season.
Do-it-all forward Matthew Tkachuk suffered a fractured sternum in Game 3 against Vegas, and gutted through Game 4, but sat out the finale. His status for the start of the season also remains uncertain.
“The Florida Panthers are on one of the luckiest runs in Cup history. And perhaps in the playoff history in any of the four major team sports,” Mike Harrington writes.
“We’re going to have a hell of a time making the playoffs next year. That’s a fact,” coach Paul Maurice said when referencing the injuries after the Cup final.
The loss of Gudas takes away a lot of the Panthers’ aggressiveness on the back end. Not having Montour and Ekblad for any length of time is a big dent to their skill quotient. At this stage of their careers, newcomers such as Ekman-Larsson, former Sabre Kulikov, Mikkola and Reilly are journeymen.
Don’t forget the Panthers gave up 273 goals, the most of any playoff team. Only a 6-0 heater late in the regular season by departed backup goalie Lyon got them in the playoffs, and then Sergei Bobrovsky got hot against Boston after a pedestrian 3.07/.901 regular season. Former first-round pick Spencer Knight, who was in the NHLPA Player Assistance program, skated at July development camp and will have to find his game again in goal.
Former Sabre Rodrigues, who had some nice runs in Pittsburgh and Colorado, got a four-year, $12 million contract to join the Panthers on July 1. They remain deep on offense, and he’ll help. But the questions on defense and in goal are real. Come October, that miracle run to the final won’t mean much.
One bummer for the Sabres: No games against the Panthers until February, which means they won’t catch Florida potentially short-handed early in the season.