Patrice Bergeron is in the final year of his contract, and we don't yet know what his future with the Boston Bruins looks like beyond that.
The 36-year-old center hasn't publicly said what he plans to do, and it's possible he doesn't even know yet.
There's no question that Bergeron is still an elite player and could play at a high very high level for multiple seasons beyond 2021-22. He's tallied 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 43 games, while his defense remains the best in the league.
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Even though Bergeron is still playing, the Hall of Fame debate has already started.
It was among the topics discussed during Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. After talking about certain milestones that help players get into the Hall of Fame, most notably 500 goals, the conversation pivoted to a few players who won't reach those statistical achievements but still are without question Hall of Famers.
Bergeron was the first one mentioned.
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"You know who's a guy who's never been really anywhere near the Hart Trophy, who, to me, is a slam-dunk Hall of Famer? Such an easy slam dunk that I wouldn't miss it. Patrice Bergeron," Friedman said. "His numbers are not even going to be close to the greatest players in the world, and to me, Patrice Bergeron should be going to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility."
(The conversation starts around the 14:40 mark in the player below)
Marek agreed with the Bergeron take and offered another suggestion -- former Detroit Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg.
"I'll see your Patrice Bergeron and raise you a Henrik Zetterberg. Those two players are more similar than they are different in that it's a real luxury as a head coach to find that your best offensive player is also your best defensive player," Marek explained.
"Your best offensive player in this case isn't going to score 130 points per year, but it's going to be impossible for you as a coach to lose a line matchup. That's the impact. When you're on the ice, you cannot lose a matchup."
Bergeron does have some pretty good stats that would get him into the Hall of Fame conversation if you purely looked at numbers and nothing else. For example, he could reach the 400-goal mark this season. He's also scored 20-plus goals in 10 consecutive non-lockout campaigns.
"As we tape this podcast, Bergeron has 387 career goals. I would probably take him (in the Hall of Fame) over all of the guys you mentioned with 500 goals (and aren't yet in the HOF)," Friedman added. "That's not to slight any of them as players, because they're all great players, but that's an example of a person -- when I think of impact, I think of Bergeron. Bergeron is a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, and he won't have the counting stats of many of his peers.
Marek added: "There's one question he can answer with a resounding yes. Which is, can your coach put you on the ice in every single situation. That, to me, has always been the hallmark of greatness in a hockey player, among forwards. Can your coach always call your number, no matter what the situation is, whether it's special teams, 5-on-5, close game, blowout, all of it. Can the coach call your name at any time with confidence? And with Bergeron? Tap in. Zetterberg? Tap in. (Pavel) Datsyuk? Tap in."
Bergeron will absolutely get into the Hall of Fame at some point. Perhaps the better debate is how many of his Bruins teammates will join him.
Zdeno Chara is a lock to be inducted. Will Tuukka Rask ever get in? Statistically he has a strong case, but goaltenders are often judged a little harsher than forwards and defensemen when it comes to Hall of Fame voting. Brad Marchand is well on his way to making the Hall of Fame, too, especially if he adds another couple impressive scoring seasons. David Pastrnak is a pretty good bet to reach the 500-goal mark, but he still has a long way to go.
Bruins fans have been lucky to watch Bergeron play for almost 20 years. Few players, if any, during his era have displayed a better all-around skill set.