Who is next for the Bruins when it comes to the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Share

The Bruins have been pretty darn fortunate over the last 15 years.

It started with the B’s signing defenseman Zdeno Chara away from the Ottawa Senators in free agency, and it’s been an impressive run since then with 11 playoff appearances, two Presidents' Trophies, three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and of course hoisting the Cup in 2011. With all that success comes Hall-of-Fame players right along.

The Bruins had another extended member of that group gain induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame this week when Jarome Iginla was named HOF-worthy. Iginla played just a single season with the Black and Gold, but it was a memorable one. Iggy joins Mark Recchi as B’s HOF players from this current core group’s run after he was inducted a couple of years ago as well. And certainly, Jaromir Jagr will join them in the near future after his time with Boston during the 2013 run to the Cup Final.

But it won’t just be about some of the veteran additions along the way for the Bruins, either. They will have at least a couple, if not even more, Hall of Famers from their core group when the current run is over.

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App

Here’s a look at the current Bruins team and the Hall of Fame chances of some of the more prominent players on their roster:

Zdeno Chara

A no-brainer at this point, the Bruins captain will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in one of the first few years he’s under consideration. The capper for him was becoming just the second European born-and-raised captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and putting a Norris Trophy on his defenseman resume in 2009.

Chara is a seven-time All-Star and won the Mark Messier leadership award in 2011, and is the greatest shutdown defenseman of his generation as a 6-foot-9 intimidator. Chara just feels like a Hall of Fame legend too when you consider he’s the tallest player to ever suit up in the NHL at 6-foot-9, he’s played into his forties and he was a Norris Trophy finalist indicating his dominance over a long stretch of time.

He still holds the all-time hardest shot in NHL history at 108.8 mph and is something of a Paul Bunyan character that people will be talking about long after he’s retired. At this point, Chara has played over 1,000 games as the captain for the Black and Gold and is still moving up the charts in all-time games played (15th with 1,553), all-time playoffs games played (35th with 182) and plus/minus (32nd all-time with a plus-288 mark). He should be the next B’s player inducted into the Hall of Fame, unless you count Jaromir Jagr after his short stint in 2013.

HOF Verdict: He’s in.  

Patrice Bergeron

Another Hockey Hall of Fame sure thing at this point, Bergeron has withstood the test of time to become one of the best players to come out of his talented 2003 NHL Draft class along with Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Burns and Ryan Suter.

Bergeron was a second-round pick in that draft, but he jumped into the NHL as the league’s youngest player at 18 years old and has been the best two-way center of his generation. Bergeron has four Selke Trophies to tie Bob Gainey for the most in NHL history, won a Stanley Cup in 2011 and has been of the great winners of his generation with a Cup, a couple of Olympic gold medals, a world junior championship and a World Cup title on his hockey resume.

Aside from the defense, Bergeron also has 352 goals and 869 points in 1,089 games and still has at least a couple more years in the back end of his NHL prime to stockpile numbers and awards. Beyond the on-ice accomplishments, Bergeron is one of the classiest players in the league and one of the most respected by his peers across the league. He’ll also end up being a lifelong Bruins when it’s all said and done, which is becoming a rarity in this day and age of sports. It will be an easy discussion when it's his turn to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

HOF Verdict: He’s in.

Tuukka Rask

The all-time winningest goalie in Bruins history has parlayed his considerable talent, quality teams around him, and longevity to become the best regular season goalie in franchise history.

Rask has the most games played (536), the most wins (291), the most saves (13,711), and the best save percentage (.922) in Bruins history. Rask ranks seventh all-time in NHL history with a .9268 save percentage in the playoffs and is the active leader among all NHL goalies with a .9218 career save percentage. He ranks third all-time behind just Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bower, who are both Hall of Famers, and has a 2014 Vezina Trophy to his credit.

Rask has one Jennings Trophy and one All-Star appearance, but presumably will get his second Vezina Trophy finalist honor this season when the names are released. Rask is still just 39th all-time with the 291 wins, however, and 30th all-time with his 50 career shutouts. The fact he’s just 33 years old and seemingly still on top of his game means he could add substantially to his numbers if he keeps on playing and the save percentage is already HOF-worthy at this point.

Still, he’s fallen short in some big moments in the Stanley Cup Final and that is going to stick with Hall of Fame voters when compared against other goalies that are the opposite with average stats/multiple Cups like Marc-Andre Fleury for instance. His only time as a Cup winner was when he didn’t play in a game while watching Tim Thomas have a playoff run for the ages where he did all the things Rask hasn’t yet been able to do in the postseason. Tough call.

HOF Verdict: He’s not in unless he wins a Cup as the No. 1 guy.  

Brad Marchand

It might have been crazy to think at points earlier in his NHL career that Brad Marchand had a chance at the Hockey Hall of Fame, but it’s certainly possible if he continues to produce at his current level for another five years or so.

Marchand now has scored 290 goals in his NHL career and only Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Rick Middleton, Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron and Cam Neely have scored more in Black and Gold. All but Middleton either are Hall of Famers or will be someday. Marchand leads all Bruins players in franchise history with 27 shorthanded goals and has the most of any player in the NHL since he broke into the league back in the 2010-11 NHL season. Marchand has a Stanley Cup on his resume, he’s been named an All-Star twice in his career and he had a top-5 finish in the Hart Trophy voting last season.

Marchand will get his share of Hart Trophy votes again this year and now has 290 goals and 646 points in 751 games. He has even cleaned up his on-ice act in the last few seasons and has avoided any suspensions as well. A career full of fines and suspensions may end up detracting from his candidacy and he’s definitely made some enemies around the league that may try to deny him hockey immortality. But a few more seasons of 30 plus goals and 90 plus points could make it difficult to keep him out, and at 31 years old that is a very reachable goal.

He’s one of the best players in the NHL and one of the most notorious players of his generation, and those players turn into qualified HOF candidates. An NHL award or two or another Stanley Cup title could help put him over the top when it comes to consideration.

HOF Verdict: A few more great years could make this happen.   

David Krejci

Certainly, Patrice Bergeron gets a lot of the credit as Boston’s top center, but David Krejci has quietly been a dominant force down the middle as well. Krejci has 207 goals and 686 points in 911 games and is now eighth all-time on the Bruins franchise list for points (686), seventh with 911 games played and eighth with 479 career assists.

Both Krejci and Patrice Bergeron are in the top-100 of all-time NHL players when it comes to playoff points (103) and Krejci led all NHL players in points in both the 2011 and 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. Krejci centered Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic during those golden years for the Bruins and in the last few years it’s been more of the playmaking center driving the B’s second line with interchangeable wingers.

Krejci had one of his best seasons in a few years two seasons ago with 20 goals and 73 points, but injuries have slowed him down at times over the last few seasons. Krejci has received some votes for the Lady Byng and the Selke Trophy in the past along with some All-Star voters thrown his way, but he’s never been in serious contention for any of the NHL Awards.

HOF Verdict: A very good player in Bruins history that won’t be Hall of Fame-worthy.

Torey Krug

The 28-year-old Krug has been one of the most prolific offensive defensemen during his career with the Bruins and his numbers stack up favorably with players like Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and Roman Josi over the last few seasons.

Krug has 67 goals and 337 points in 523 career games and has made himself into a top-4 defenseman for the Bruins despite his 5-foot-8 height. He’s going to get paid one way or the other as he moves toward unrestricted free agency following this season, and that’s a tribute to the offensive D-man/power play quarterback that he’s turned himself into. But he’s also been a minus player in three of the last four seasons and his zero plus/minus ranking last year was the only one not in the negative.

He’s received Norris Trophy votes just once in his NHL career and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie in his best showing for an award. Krug does have 11 goals and 46 points in 62 career playoff games and has been a stellar performer when he’s been healthy in the postseason. He was one of Boston’s strongest Conn Smythe candidates had the B’s won the Cup last June, but instead, Krug and the B’s have been on the losing end of both Stanley Cup Final appearances since he’s been with the team.

Krug is still in his last twenties and should be productive for another five years or more, so the final numbers could be really impressive for him when it’s all said and done.

HOF Verdict: Another very good player for the Bruins that’s a level or two below the Hall of Fame.

David Pastrnak

Like Patrice Bergeron before him, David Pastrnak was the youngest player in the NHL during his rookie season in the league. So he’s got a chance to put up some massive numbers before he’s all done and already has 180 goals and 379 points in 390 games over six seasons.

He was on track for 50 plus goals and 100 plus points this season and he should be in that range for at least another 5-10 seasons at just 23 years old. Pastrnak finished with his first Rocket Richard Trophy this season while leading the NHL in goals, the first and only Bruins player to do that since Hall of Famer Phil Esposito in the mid-1970’s. Pastrnak should get heavy consideration for the Hart Trophy this season as well and that should kick off years of scoring, awards, All-Star honors and other things to go along with seeking his first Stanley Cup as well.

Pastrnak also has 17 goals and 43 points in 42 career Stanley Cup playoff games and broke a Wayne Gretzky-record as the youngest player with a six-point playoff game on his postseason resume a couple of seasons ago. Pastrnak will need a long stretch of greatness, some good luck and good Bruins teams around him, but everything is set up for him to become one of the greatest Bruins players of all-time given his youth, his makeup and his elite talent level.

HOF Verdict: He’s well on his way if he fulfills his vast potential.

Contact Us