The Boston Bruins' window to win a Stanley Cup is the near future.
Many of the team's best players are approaching the end of their primes, including Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and others. Brad Marchand also is 31 years old. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (33) and Jaroslav Halak (34) have played a ton of games in their careers. B's captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara remains a very effective player, but he's 43 years old.
The Bruins aren't likely to have a ton more opportunities to win a championship with their veteran core.
Boston currently sits atop the NHL standings and ranks among the top contenders for the Stanley Cup. However, it's uncertain if the Bruins will get a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup in 2020. The NHL a few weeks ago made the smart decision to pause the season amid the outbreak of the coronavirus. It was a necessary move to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. The league on Wednesday announced the postponement of the 2020 NHL Draft, 2020 NHL Scouting Combine and 2020 NHL Awards.
The whole situation is further proof that there are more important things in life than playing sports. Still, it's tough for players in Bergeron's position who might not get too many more cracks at playoff glory. He addressed the scenario in a recent conversation with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
“I think as you get older you realize that you need to make the most of every opportunity since they might not come by often," Bergeron said. "That being said, this is out of our control. What should be on our minds right now is everyone’s safety. Still, it is hard knowing that we have a great team, not certain if there will be a playoff and a Stanley Cup to compete for.”
The league seems determined to finish the season when/if appropriate. Here's what commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier this month:
If the 2019-20 season does resume, it's unclear what format will be used. It's possible a few regular season games could be played to finish out the playoff race. Maybe the league would go straight to the playoffs and perhaps expand the tournament to allow teams close to a playoff spot to participate. It's hard to predict what will happen because there's no precedent for this scenario.
What we do know is that if the season returns, the Bruins will be well-rested and highly motivated to give another strong push for the Stanley Cup, and Bergeron will be among the players leading that charge.
