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Tuukka Rask Announces His Retirement

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Feb 9: Rask has officially announced his retirement, explaining that his body just wasn’t responding the way he hoped. In a long statement, he thanked the organization, fans, and his many teammates for all of the support over a long career.

Feb 8: Two sources reported to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa today that the Boston Bruins don’t expect legendary goaltender Tuukka Rask to come back and play again this season, adding that Rask may finalize a retirement decision within the next few days.

Rask has not played since January 24th, allowing five goals on 27 shots to the Anaheim Ducks. He backed up the team’s next game but has been on injured reserve since that time, reporting discomfort in his hip after having surgery on it this past offseason.

While it’s not a certainty that Rask will retire, it certainly seems like the most likely option for the 34-year-old goalie. His hip surgery required extensive rehabilitation, missing nearly six months with the injury before returning to Boston in early-mid January. He hasn’t been his usual self, posting just a .844 save percentage and 4.28 goals-against average in four starts this year.

If this does end up being the end of Tuukka Time in Boston, he leaves as undoubtedly the best goaltender in franchise history. He’s first among all Bruins goalies all-time in wins (308), games played (564), and tied with Tim Thomas for best save percentage with a minimum of 100 games played (.921).

There was only one thing missing from his resume with a Vezina and Jennings Trophy already under his belt — a Stanley Cup of his own. He was the team’s backup during the 2011 Stanley Cup victory but never played a game on the playoff run behind Thomas. That was the goal he’d hoped to achieve this season, forming a formidable goalie trio with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.

With that, though, the team should still be set in goal for the rest of the season. Both Ullmark and Swayman — especially Swayman — have played like legitimate starters in Boston and continue to do so. While it’ll certainly be an emotional day if Rask does announce his retirement, the team’s solidified there for the near future.

Photo from USA Today Sports Images

Brad Marchand, Marcus Foligno To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has a busy day, as both Brad Marchand and Marcus Foligno now have hearings scheduled for incidents that occurred last night. Marchand in particular appears likely to get a long suspension, given he has been offered an in-person hearing. That gives the league the ability to suspend him for more than five games, though does not guarantee that outcome.

Marchand’s incident happened in the final seconds of last night’s Boston Bruins-Pittsburgh Penguins game and included a punch and a high stick on goaltender Tristan Jarry. It resulted in a match penalty which automatically comes with a review from the DoPS and now could bring a hefty suspension. Marchand obviously has a long history of supplementary discipline including a three-game suspension for slew-footing earlier this season.

Foligno meanwhile is getting a hearing for kneeing, but not the variety most will be used to. The incident occurred with Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry already on the ice after a fight, with Foligno on top of him still trying to continue the scrap. The Minnesota Wild forward received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in addition to the fighting major.

Often, in-person hearings–which are currently held over Zoom–take more than a day before a suspension is handed out. Marchand’s does not yet have a time or date set. At the very least, one can assume that he won’t be available in tomorrow’s match against the Carolina Hurricanes. (UPDATE: Marchand’s hearing is set for this evening.)

Tuukka Rask Won't Practice This Week

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  • Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask won’t practice this week as he continues to battle a lingering lower-body injury, relays Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal (Twitter link). The veteran has played in four games since signing with Boston last month but has posted a save percentage of just .844.  There is no timetable for his return but it stands to reason that after not skating for at least two weeks once this week is finished, he’ll need some time to get back into game shape.

Teams Have Interest In Studnicka And Vaakanainen But Questions About Their Upside

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  • There are teams with some interest in Bruins youngsters Jack Studnicka and Urho Vaakanainen but there are questions as to what the upside for both players are, suggests Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (subscription link). Studnicka started the season in Boston’s top six but has spent most of the season in the minors while Vaakanainen’s limited experience makes it hard to project whether or not he could become a second-pairing rearguard.  Both players are potential trade options if the Bruins try to make a splash at the trade deadline but those questions of upside will make their value considerably varied around the league which could complicate things in a trade.

NHL Announces Several Key Events For 2022-23

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took the podium today in Las Vegas to give an update on several topics, including some key events that will take place in 2022-23.

The 2023 NHL Winter Classic will feature the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park and will mark the fifth outdoor game for the team. The Bruins’ opponent has not yet been revealed, or the official date at this point. Fenway held the 2010 Winter Classic, where the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime.

Next year’s All-Star festivities will be held in Sunrise, Florida, and will be hosted by the Florida Panthers for the first time since 2003. The event will take place over February 3-4, 2023 with the All-Star Skills Competition on Friday, as it is this year. The Panthers, one of the league’s most exciting teams, will likely have several participants again next year.

The Stadium Series will head to Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Carolina Hurricanes will host an outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium, home of the NC State Wolfpack. This will be the very first outdoor game for the Hurricanes, though their opponent has also not been announced yet. The Stadium Series date has also not yet been officially set for 2023.

On the upcoming 2022 draft that is currently scheduled for Montreal, Bettman explained that if Quebec’s current COVID restrictions have not changed by that point, the league may decide to take it somewhere else. He hopes to have not only the team representatives and players in person, but also fans in the stands.

The league will also return to Europe next season in the Global Series, with games scheduled for Germany, Switzerland, Finland, and the Czech Republic, though details on those games were not revealed.

Chicago Blackhawks To Interview Peter Chiarelli For GM Vacancy

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Buckle up, Blackhawks fans. As Chicago prepares to begin interviews this week for their current vacancy at General Manager, at least one big name has been confirmed as a candidate. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that former Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli will interview for the Blackhawks’ GM job. In fact, the club sought out the experienced executive, currently the Vice President of Hockey Operations with the St. Louis Blues, and requested that he apply. Dreger adds that the interview process could move quickly with the NHL Trade Deadline approaching next month. If Chiarelli is deemed to be Chicago’s top option, he could be named leader of the front office within weeks.

Even after more than three years removed from his last GM job, Chiarelli remains a polarizing figure in the hockey community. As a young GM, he built a Stanley Cup winner (and shortly thereafter a finalist again) in Boston – and that is something that can’t be taken from him. Chiarelli built the core of that championship team from scratch and his fingerprints are still all over the current Bruins. His efforts included signing Zdeno Chara, Marc Savard, Andrew Ference, and Torey Krug; trading for Tuukka Rask, Adam McQuaid, Johnny Boychuk, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, and Nathan Horton; and drafting Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk, Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, and David Pastrnak. However, in building a winner he also made some questionable deals that cost the Bruins Blake Wheeler, Kris Versteeg, Boychuk, and most notably Kessel and later his return, top-ten picks Seguin and Hamilton. High-value picks he dealt away turned into the likes of Rickard Rakell, Jason Dickinson, current Bruin Derek Forbort and more. Chiarelli was also wrong more often than he was right in the draft, which wasn’t helped by his willingness to give up picks.

When Chiarelli arrived in Edmonton with plans on turning the historically bad club into contenders, he walked right in to drafting Connor McDavid first overall in 2015. While the book is still out on some of Chiarelli’s later draft picks, the obvious McDavid selection was one of his few hits, with Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, and Tyler Benson hardly living up to their draft billing. Chiarelli also struggled in free agency, giving too much to old friend Lucic and unproven Mikko Koskinen while failing to provide McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with suitable wingers. Yet, what Chiarelli is most infamous for are his trades in Edmonton, with none more talked about than the Taylor Hall–Adam Larsson swap. He also sent away Justin Schultz, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Strome in lopsided deals and gave away a first-round pick (Mathew Barzal) for Griffin Reinhart. Yet, the Oilers did improve under Chiarelli and his extensions for McDavid and Draisaitl now look like bargains. If he had just avoided a few of his mistakes, the Oilers might have made a run to the Cup just like Boston.

So is it time for another chance? Dreger notes that the Blackhawks do have many candidates and by no means does he insinuate that Chiarelli is already the front-runner. Current interim Kyle Davidson will get a look, as could Seattle Assistant GM Jason Botterill, who was reportedly the runner-up for the Anaheim job. Displaced interim Ducks GM Jeff Solomon could also be in consideration, as could a number of others who were in the mix for the recently-filled jobs in Montreal and Vancouver. However, there is no doubt that for entertainment’s sake, having Chiarelli back in the GM chair would be fun to watch.

Boston Bruins Place Erik Haula In COVID Protocol

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Boston Bruins forward Erik Haula entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol today, per the team. They recalled forward Steven Fogarty from the AHL’s Providence Bruins to take his spot on the active roster.

Haula, despite just 16 points through his first 40 games in Boston, had been heating up as of late. Seven of those 16 points have come in his past 10 games as he seems to have found a home between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak on the team’s second line for the time being.

Fogarty’s recall comes with the Bruins not having any healthy forwards available as scratches or on the taxi squad. The AHL veteran and former New York Ranger and Buffalo Sabre has 23 points in 26 games with Providence this year, and he’ll likely slot into the lineup tonight against the Dallas Stars.

A five-day quarantine for Haula would cause him to miss the team’s next two games against Dallas and Seattle.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tippett, Mrazek, Ducks

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek didn’t hold back on their reporting late this evening on “Hockey Night in Canada”. The duo behind “32 Thoughts” had plenty to contribute, starting with Friedman’s report on the Vancouver Canucks. With the Vancouver front office finally coming together, with Patrik Allvin being named GM of Jim Rutherford’s new-look front office, the Canucks are starting to get busy in trade talks. Although the .500 club is still in the Western Conference wild card race, the reality is that any true playoff success for Vancouver lies in the future. It should come as no surprise then that the Canucks are listening to trade offers – and not just for talked-about target J.T. Miller. Friedman reports that nearly any Vancouver forward could be had for the right price outside of captain Bo Horvat and young star Elias Pettersson. That includes Conor Garland, who the team just acquired themselves this past summer and signed to a reasonable five-year, $24.75MM deal. It is believed that the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers are in pursuit of Garland, though there is likely no shortage of interest in the skilled forward, who has 102 points in 155 games dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season.

  • The Florida Panthers are one of the biggest surprises of the season, currently leading the top-heavy Atlantic Division with a .744 points percentage that is also third-best in the NHL. The Panthers are expected to go all-in on a Stanley Cup run this season and specifically are hoping to land a legitimate top-four defenseman. As they go about working the phones, Marek reports that one major name they are dangling is Owen Tippett. The 2017 first-rounder still has yet to make his mark in the NHL, struggling to find enough consistency at the top level to stick in the Florida lineup. However, he is only 22 and still a well-regarded as well as well-liked prospect. Tippett will likely end up as the centerpiece to any big trade the Panthers make this season.
  • With Jack Campbell playing at an elite level this season while Petr Mrazek has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, the latter has proven to be little more than a pricey backup for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season while the former will be the team’s offseason priority as an impending free agent. As a result, teams have begun to inquire about Mrazek’s availability. If Campbell does stay in Toronto, the team will have a proven starter and have some promising young options like Joseph Woll and Ian Scott behind him. Marek also adds that the Maple Leafs are in hot pursuit of undrafted OHL standout Mack Guzda, who would further boost the depth chart if Toronto can win a heated race for his services. This hypothetically makes Mrazek and his $3.8MM cap hit expendable, even though he just signed with Toronto this past summer. However, for now the Leafs are maintaining that Mrazek remains a part of their plans. Marek was not so sure about that, but does report that any decision on a Mrazek trade will have to wait for the offseason.
  • Among the other suitors for Guzda are the Ducks, Hurricanes, Islanders, Rangers, Penguins, and Predators. (Notably, Guzda is a Tennessee native.) One of those teams is about to get much more serious in their pursuit, as well as in the trade market. Friedman notes that Anaheim is closing in on naming a general manager. While there are still several names in contention, he believes that Pat Verbeek is the odds-on favorite. Once a permanent GM is named, the Ducks will become a fascinating team to watch; they are both well within the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, yet also possess numerous high-value rentals.

Tuukka Rask Not Ruled Out For Sunday's Game

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While Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday in Arizona, it’s not expected to be a long-term injury for the netminder, notes Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.  Rask is dealing with a lower-body injury and it’s unknown if it’s related to his surgically-repaired hip.  However, the team hasn’t ruled him out for Sunday’s game against Dallas.  Jeremy Swayman was scratched from his AHL start on Friday and is expected to join the team by Sunday which would allow Troy Grosenick to return to the taxi squad after serving as the backup last night.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2021-22 season and beyond with contract statuses as of the beginning of the year.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Current Cap Hit: $80,505,704 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Oskar Steen (one year, $809K)
G Jeremy Swayman (two years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Steen: $82.5K
Swayman: $125K
Total: $0.2075MM

Steen has spent a good chunk of the season in the minors but has earned a regular spot in the lineup in recent weeks.  It’s his first extended stint of NHL action and a half-season of playing time won’t be enough to yield a long-term deal.  A short-term pact that’s around this AAV but is a one-way deal instead of two-way would make a lot of sense for both sides.

Swayman is currently in the minors but played well in the first half of the season for the Bruins before being a roster casualty.  Depending on how his bonuses are structured, that may be a number that has to be kept in mind for deadline spending with an eye on trying to stay that far under the cap.  If he’s a regular next season in a similar platoon role that he had to start this one, he could push for a bridge contract that’s around double his current price tag.

Signed Through 2021-22, Non-Entry-Level

F Patrice Bergeron ($6.875MM, UFA)
F Anton Blidh ($750K, UFA)
F Jake DeBrusk ($3.675MM, RFA)
F Curtis Lazar ($800K, UFA)
G Tuukka Rask ($1MM, UFA)
D Jakub Zboril ($725K, RFA)

Bergeron’s contract is the big one for the Bruins and GM Don Sweeney to contend with in the coming months.  He’s not really slowing down offensively as he continues to produce at a top-line rate.  He’s still one of the top defensive centers in the league.  He’s still well-respected as their captain.  Generally, this combination can result in a contract that could push upwards of $10MM.  No one really expects that to be the case here.  Boston has had an ability to get several of their core veterans to take a little below market value to stick around and there’s little reason to think they won’t try that here.  Accordingly, it makes Bergeron’s next deal a little tricky to peg – he could easily get considerably more on the open market and it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if he took a little less, especially if he can get an extra year or two tacked on.

DeBrusk is someone who has seen his value drop substantially over the last year and a half.  His qualifying offer is $4.41MM and no one is going to pay that which means he’ll be non-tendered and looking for something around the $2MM mark on a one-year deal in the hopes of rebuilding his value.  Lazar won’t ever live up to his draft billing but he has established himself as a reliable fourth liner that can play center and the wing.  His market shouldn’t be huge but a contract closer to the $1MM mark is doable.  Blidh should be able to get a one-way contract over the summer but with him being more of a role player than someone who’s going to play every night, his cap hit should still remain near the minimum.

Zboril’s injury trouble isn’t helping his case and at this point, he’s likely looking at another deal at or close to the minimum.  He could still become a regular on the third pairing but until that happens, the seven-figure contracts are going to be hard to come by.

Rask was true to his word, signing for just above the minimum to work within Boston’s cap structure.  Is he willing to do that again?  It can’t be ruled out and considering he wasn’t interested in going elsewhere this season, it’s fair to surmise it once again will be Boston or nothing.

Signed Through 2022-23

D Connor Clifton ($1MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($3.8MM, UFA)
F Trent Frederic ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.375MM, UFA)
D John Moore ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1.75MM, UFA)
F David Pastrnak ($6.67MM, UFA)
F Craig Smith ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Chris Wagner ($1.35MM, UFA)

Sweeney’s ability to get veterans to take below-market contracts is really going to get tested with Pastrnak.  At the time he signed his current deal, he wasn’t yet the high-scoring star he has become now.  Top-end wingers can still command significant money on the open market and it’s not crazy to think Pastrnak could land another couple million or more per season on a max-term contract; he’ll hit the open market at 27 in the prime of his career.

Fortunately for the Bruins, they have enough veterans on expiring contracts to help offset any increase to Pastrnak.  Foligno has had a tough season that certainly hasn’t helped his value and if that continues, he’ll be closer to half of what he’s making now.  Smith hasn’t been able to be the consistent secondary scorer they hoped he’d be based on his time with Nashville so it’s hard to forecast a bump in salary for him.  At the rate he’s going, he could still get close to his current price tag though.  Haula’s contract seemed a little lower than expected and he has played at a similar rate compared to his last couple of seasons.  Centers are always in demand and as long as he can do well on the third line, he should generate enough interest for a small increase.  Nosek is who he is at this point, a lower-scoring third liner that does enough defensively and at the faceoff dot to make him a quality depth player.  Another contract in this range is achievable for him.  Wagner has spent the entire season in the minors but still carries a lingering $225K charge which will also be the case next year if he is waived and clears again.  Frederic has been able to hold down a spot on the fourth line but unless he can play his way into a bigger role by the end of next season, he won’t be able to get much more than his $1.15MM qualifying offer.

Moore’s contract hasn’t worked out, plain and simple, as he has struggled to stay healthy and has had his struggles in Boston’s lineup when he has had the chance to play.  At this point, he’s a possible buyout candidate.  Clifton is a capable depth defender that can hold his own on the third pairing when called upon.  Those types of players are rarely in high demand but as long as he’s willing to sign for a similar price, he should have a few suitors from teams looking to shore up their depth.

Signed Through 2023-24

D Derek Forbort ($3MM, UFA)
D Matt Grzelcyk ($3.688MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($3MM, UFA)

Grzelcyk hasn’t been able to the big step forward that the Bruins were hoping for when they signed him to this contract but he remains a capable part of their second pairing.  He chips in enough at the offensive end to still provide a good return on this contract and he should be in line for a small raise for his first test of the open market.  Forbort isn’t too far removed from being a 20-minute player, a mark he has hit four times which helped him earn this contract.  With Boston, he has been a bit more of a role player so far but as a fourth or fifth defender most nights, he has provided reasonable value so far.  He’ll be 32 when he gets back to free agency and if he’s on the third pairing more consistently, his next contract should come in a little lower than this one.  The same could be said for Reilly who hasn’t been quite as impactful as he was when he joined Boston in a late-season trade a year ago.  His production has gone closer to normal levels although his positive possession stats help offset that a little bit.  He’ll need to be more like the player he was in 2020-21 to have a chance at getting a similar contract in 2024.

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