The Boston Bruins had a frustrating end to their 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff run Monday night with a second round elimination to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now the tough decisions must be made.
The B's have several important players with uncertain futures. This includes players set for free agency or with one year left on their contracts.
Boston's veteran core has been together for more than a decade, but with this group another year older and not having won a title since 2011, is this going to be the offseason where substantial changes are made?
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Here's a breakdown of the Bruins roster, each player's contract status for the 2020-21 season and more (All salary information via CapFriendly).
FORWARDS
David Krejci, C
Age: 34
Boston Bruins
2020-21 Salary: $7.25 million
Krejci, the highest-paid player on the B's (on an annual average value basis) remains a solid second-line center and was one of Boston's best players in the 2020 playoffs. He's entering the final season of his contract and has a modified no-trade clause.
Patrice Bergeron, C
Age: 35
2020-21 Salary: $6.875 million
Bergeron still is one of the league's best centers and again was named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. His contract expires after the 2021-22 campaign and includes a no-movement clause.
David Pastrnak, RW
Age: 24
2020-21 Salary: $6.66 million
Pastrnak tied for the league lead in goals scored during the regular season and tallied 95 points in 70 games. He's one of the league's top players and signed to one of the most team-friendly contracts that doesn't expire until after the 2022-23 season.
Brad Marchand, LW
Age: 32
2020-21 Salary: $6.25 million
Marchand also is on one of the most team-friendly deals in the league, and he's scored at a point-per-game rate or better in each of the last four seasons. His contract has a no-movement clause.
Charlie Coyle, C
Age: 28
2020-21 Salary: $5.25 million
Coyle was acquired at last season's trade deadline and has proven to be a reliable secondary scorer for Boston. His five-year extension begins next season.
Ondrej Kase, RW
Age: 24
2020-21 Salary: $2.6 million
Kase was acquired at the trade deadline from Anaheim and had a few good moments but overall was a disappointment. He mostly played at right wing on the second line but failed to score a goal in 17 games with the B's, including the playoffs. Kase will be a restricted free agent after next season.
Nick Ritchie, LW
Age: 24
2020-21 Salary: $1.5 million
Ritchie also was acquired from Anaheim before the trade deadline and contributed very little for Boston. He was ineffective in the playoffs -- failing to provide much offense and taking dumb penalties. The Bruins are better when he's not in the lineup.
Sean Kuraly, C
Age: 27
2020-21 Salary: $1.275 million
Kuraly is a solid fourth-line center who plays a smart, physical game and can provide a little offensive spark here and there. He's signed to a cheap contract that expires after next season.
Chris Wagner, RW
Age: 29
2020-21 Salary: $1.35 million
Wagner is another quality bottom-six forward whose low-cost three-year extension kicks in next season.
Joakim Nordstrom, LW
Age: 28
2020-21 Salary: UFA this offseason
Nordstrom played his bottom-six role well for the Bruins but he's an unrestricted free agent this summer and the team would be better served giving his ice time to a younger player.
Anders Bjork, LW
Age: 24
2020-21 Salary: $1.6 million
Bjork has shown flashes of his potential, he just needs to stay healthy. If he does that, the young forward could be a dependable second or third line player who provides secondary scoring and smart two-way play.
Jake DeBrusk, LW
Age: 23
2020-21 Salary: RFA this offseason
One of the hardest decisions for the Bruins is what to do with DeBrusk, who's a restricted free agent this summer. He's capable of being a 20-plus goal scorer with a physical edge, but his inconsistency is quite frustrating. DeBrusk scored only five goals in his last 27 games, including the playoffs. The issue for the B's is they don't have any wingers outside of Pastrnak and Marchand who are reliable goal scorers. Letting DeBrusk walk would worsen what's already a glaring weakness on this roster.
DEFENSEMEN
Torey Krug
Age: 29
2020-21 Salary: UFA this offseason
The biggest question mark for the B's before next season is Krug's future. Krug is one of the league's best offensive defenseman and among the team's leaders on and off the ice. He's also a key part of one of the league's most potent power plays. Re-signing Krug could be very expensive. Players with his stats and experience typically make $7 million or more per season on a long term UFA deal. Do the B's want to pay a 29-year-old Krug that much money for the next seven or eight years? Krug has said he'd like to stay in Boston, but the Bruins need to be careful not to put themselves in a tough spot by overpaying to keep him.
Charlie McAvoy
Age: 22
2020-21 Salary: $4.9 million
McAvoy is one of the league's best young defensemen and a true No. 1 pairing player. He was among Boston's top players in the playoffs and a pillar of the team's present and future.
Zdeno Chara
Age: 43
2020-21 Salary: UFA this offseason
Will Chara retire? He wouldn't say after the Game 5 loss to the Lightning.
"I haven't made a decision. I obviously just finished the game and I'll be open-minded," Chara told reporters.
Chara is one of the best players in Bruins history, a future Hall of Famer and deserves to have his number retired someday. He's still a good defenseman, but he's not a dominant/shut down player at this stage of his career. Bringing him back for another season wouldn't be a bad scenario at all for the Bruins. He can still log 20-plus minutes per night and feature on the penalty kill, while also providing elite leadership.
Brandon Carlo
Age: 23
2020-21 Salary: $2.85 million
Carlo struggled in the playoffs, but he's still a good second-pairing defenseman signed for cheap money next season. He's set to be an RFA after the 2020-21 campaign.
John Moore
Age: 29
2020-21 Salary: $2.75 million
Moore was signed to a five-year contract in the summer of 2018, but injuries and performance have resulted in the B's instead giving ice time to Jeremy Lauzon, Connor Clifton and Matt Grzelcyk. Trading Moore, which would get rid of his salary cap hit and give him an opportunity to play more, would be a win-win for all parties.
Matt Grzelcyk
Age: 26
2020-21 Salary: RFA this offseason
Grzelcyk is a restricted free agent and should be brought back for the right price. He's a quality third-pairing defenseman who's a good skater and capable of providing offense from the back end.
Connor Clifton
Age: 25
2020-21 Salary: $1 million
Clifton's three-year extension begins next season. He probably should've been given more ice time in the playoffs given the physicality he brings, as well as some offense. In fact, he was the only B's defenseman to score a goal in the first or second rounds of the postseason.
GOALTENDERS
Tuukka Rask
Age: 33
2020-21 Salary: $7 million
Rask left the bubble after Game 2 of the first round to return to his family. Jaroslav Halak took over as the No. 1 goalie and played fairly well, but he wasn't able to give the B's the Vezina Trophy-level performance that Rask did throughout the season.
One of the biggest questions for the Bruins entering next season is what to do with Rask. His contract will expire after next year. Do the B's extend him to a short team deal or look to trade him? Losing him for nothing as a free agent in 2021 would be a bad outcome. If the Bruins don't view Rask as the starting goalie for the next three or so years, trading him and getting an asset or two in return makes the most sense.
Jaroslav Halak
Age: 35
2020-21 Salary: $2.25 million
Halak did the best he could in a tough situation during the playoffs. He let in a couple soft goals, but he also had some awful puck luck on deflections in the second round. Halak had a good season overall and helped the Bruins allow the fewest goals per game during the regular season. He's still signed for another season, and the Bruins should keep him -- whether he's the starter or the backup.