Patrice Bergeron has only known one team, one jersey, and one city for the entirety of his career. A very rare feat in the modern day game, Bergeron would be among a handful of players to end his career with the team he was drafted by. Coming off the heels of an 8 year deal signed in the summer of 2013, Bergeron is coming to the end of the contract with his future up in the air. The 36 year old has expressed his desire to remain a Bruin but he also doesn’t want to think about the future until the season is over.
Bergeron was drafted in the 2nd round of the vaunted 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He came into the NHL as an 18 year old and has since remained a mainstay for the Bruins. He has accumulated 917 points in 1143 games, has been as consistent as anyone over the duration of his career, and is the propeller of his infamous “perfection line” with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.
Aside from his 917 points, he has also won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defensive forward 4 times, has been a runner up 4 times (including the last two years), and has been a finalist an additional 2 times. He has also won the Mark Messier leadership award, a King Clancy for his leadership on and off the ice, and of course a Stanley Cup.
Bergeron has been a dominant force on both ends of the ice, has put up terrific offensive numbers helping the Bruins on a yearly basis, and is as good as they come off the ice. The Bruins are a well respected organization with deep roots and it seems like a lot of the more revered players never want to leave the team or the city.
David Krejci saw no future in the NHL if it wasn’t with the Bruins, he only really left because he felt he needed to go back home, spend time with his family, immerse his daughter to the childhood he had, and to play in front of his loved ones in the Czech Republic. Tuukka Rask also saw no future outside of the Bruins and is willing to come back for one more season. It seems fitting that the current captain will spend the rest of his career in Boston, however long that may be.
There are very few indications as to what Bergeron wants to do with career moving forward or what a future contract would look like. The Bruins have managed the salary cap very well over the last decade with certain players taking hometown discounts like Marchand, Pastrnak, and to a lesser degree Taylor Hall.
If Bergeron were to return, he would likely command a respectable number for a player of his status but also not trying to break the bank. He will be 37 shortly after his contract expires so age does play a factor. He has shown no signs of rust in terms of his play on the ice, consistently scoring 60+ points and has been a finalist for the Selke in 10 straight seasons.
The only real concern would be his health as he has missed a chunk of games over the last 4-5 years. In his defense, he has only missed 11 games in the last two seasons but the two years prior to that he missed a combined 35 games. He hasn’t played a full 82 game season but has come close with a few 80 game seasons and 81 game seasons from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Bergeron is as good as they come, as loyal as they are, and has been consistently great throughout his career. He is everything you’re looking for in a hockey player and then some. The Bruins may not have won a cup since 2011 but they are always in contention and Bergeron is a big reason as to why.
For some players a contract year can be stressful and mind numbing because it can hang over you during the entire season. However, for a player like Bergeron, there is mutual interest to get a deal done but both sides are respectful of each other’s wishes. Age plays a factor, otherwise I’m sure the extension would’ve already been handed out. It wouldn’t and shouldn’t surprise anyone that when the season comes to an end, and Bergeron wants to continue playing, a multi year deal between the two sides will be struck. The captain is going nowhere and that’s how Boston usually operates.
