Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Patrice Bergeron

Injury Notes: Bergeron, Sharks, Scandella

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reports that Boston Bruins’ captain Patrice Bergeron will not play in tomorrow’s game against the St.Louis Blues. Bruin’s head coach Jim Montgomery shares that Bergeron is dealing with both lower and upper-body “issues”.

As the Bruins continue on one of, if not the all-time best, regular seasons of all time, Bergeron has continued to be an important piece of the puzzle. Although his scoring is technically down this season, the Bruins center has put up 57 points in 74 games. Not only has Bergeron continued his above-average point production, but he has also still played extremely well on the defensive side of the puck. On a three-year stretch of having more takeaways than giveaways, the veteran center has 62 and 52, respectively.

Capping off a historic season, the Bruins will only play two teams within the playoff picture out of their remaining six games. Record books aside, the team has an important job to do come playoff time, and having a rested Bergeron will be a major component in the team realizing that goal.

Other notes:

  • The San Jose Sharks released some injury updates today, as Curtis Pashelka, a Sharks beat writer, relays that forward Oskar Lindblom should return this week, and; unfortunately, Alexander Barabanov will likely be out for the remainder of the season. Now in his sixth NHL season, Lindblom currently has 15 points for the Sharks in 73 games played. Coming into his own in San Jose, Barabanov has reached a new career-high, scoring 15 goals and 32 assists with the Sharks this season.
  • As the team finished today’s game against the Nashville Predators, the St.Louis Blues announced that defenseman Marco Scandella will be out with a lower-body injury. Unfortunately for the Blues and Scandella, he was only recently activated from the team’s long-term injured reserve on February 20th of this year. In only 19 games played this season, the defenseman has scored two points total.

Injury Notes: Sabres, Penguins, Bruins, Islanders, Jets

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Mattias Samuelsson and Riley Stillman will not play tonight for the Buffalo Sabres against the Edmonton Oilers as both are out with upper-body injuries, according to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.

Both played for Buffalo in the win over Tampa Bay on Saturday. Samuelsson has recorded one goal and seven assists for eight points this season. The Sabres hope he becomes a secondary anchor of their blueline behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, as next season he will enter the first year of a seven-year contract paying him an AAV of $4.285MM. Stillman is a depth piece who is already a bit of a journeyman at 24, having suited up for four different franchises over parts of the past five seasons, and has played two games for Buffalo since being acquired from Vancouver Feb. 27.

Other notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, who didn’t play on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, was back on the ice for practice Monday morning, according to Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Jarry has been strong this season for the Pens, with a .916 save percentage and 2.77 GAA in 32 games played. Pittsburgh next plays on Tuesday as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci did not practice Monday morning, according to Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. Bergeron scored in each of the past two games, both Bruins wins, and has 23 goals and 25 assists for 48 points this season. Krejci has 50 points in 57 games this season in his return to the NHL. The Bruins play next on Thursday as the host the Edmonton Oilers.
  • Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mason Appleton participated in the morning skate for the Winnipeg Jets, according to John Lu of TSN. Dubois hasn’t played since Feb. 26, and Lu reports the lower-body injury that kept him out of the past three games wasn’t too bothersome and just needed to heal. Dubois has 55 points (24G, 31A) in 60 games for the Jets this season. Appleton also hasn’t played since Feb. 26, and has nine points in 22 games this season. Both will play tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
  • Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to ice for the New York Islanders practice Monday morning, according to Neil Best of Newsday. Pageau hasn’t played since Feb. 11, and has 29 points in 56 games for the Islanders this season. The Islanders are set to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

 

Atlantic Notes: Bergeron, Motte, Bertuzzi

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Load management is a term that has become more commonplace in the NBA in recent seasons but it’s not something that’s typically done with any sort of regularity in the NHL.  However, that could be changing as Bruins center Patrice Bergeron acknowledged to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski that the team has talked to him about the possibility of selectively resting him down the stretch.  The 37-year-old is in the midst of another strong season and has 36 points in 45 games so far while anchoring their top line but at his age and the minutes he has logged over the years, a night off here and there might not be a bad idea.  Of course, it certainly helps that Boston has a 13-point lead on Toronto in the Atlantic Division, giving them a sizable cushion that lessens any risk from attempting to give their top center some extra rest.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Senators winger Tyler Motte’s recovery from a finger injury isn’t going as well as the team hoped, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren. The 27-year-old suffered the injury just before the holiday break and will now be out until after the All-Star break and bye week.  Motte was a late signee in the offseason, inking a one-year, $1.35MM deal with Ottawa but things haven’t gone accordingly to plan this season as he has been relatively quiet when he has been in the lineup with just three goals and six assists in 32 games.
  • While the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be available tonight due to injury, it’s not expected to be a long-term issue, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. It has been a year to forget so far for the 27-year-old who has been limited to just 15 appearances thus far after breaking both hands this season.  Bertuzzi has just a goal and four assists when he has been in the lineup, hardly the type of year he was hoping for as he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Patrice Bergeron

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The captain is back, as Patrice Bergeron has officially re-signed with the Boston Bruins. The legendary defensive forward will be back for his 19th season, agreeing to a one-year, $2.5MM contract. The deal also has an additional $2.5MM in potential performance bonuses.

Not only does this bring back one of the best players in Bruins history but Bergeron has done the team a huge favor by agreeing to such a reasonable contract. Because he is over the age of 35 and signing a one-year deal, he’s eligible for performance bonuses. If any part of that bonus money would put the team over the salary cap ceiling by the end of the year, they can be pushed to the 2023-24 books.

Given the fact that Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports is reporting that the entire $2.5MM bonus is for 10 games played, this is essentially a way for the Bruins to split Bergeron’s cap hit between two seasons. They can now operate as if he is only taking up $2.5MM, while then incurring up to a $2.5MM penalty next season – whether he plays or not.

Still, that is a ridiculously low number for a player of his ability. The 37-year-old had one of the best defensive seasons in history last year, and added 25 goals and 65 points in 73 games, winning his record fifth Selke Trophy in the process. Had he actually been on the open market, he likely could have secured multiple years and a much higher salary.

There was never any chance of him going somewhere else though, as Boston has been his home for two decades. The Bruins selected Bergeron 45th overall in 2003, and he has been a pillar of consistency in their lineup basically ever since.

One of the few players left in the league to have played before the 2004-05 lockout, Bergeron was a rookie in 2003-04 and scored 16 goals and 39 points as a teenager. After the NHL resumed in 2005, he was already an All-Star level talent, with 31 goals and 73 points in his sophomore year. After 1,216 regular season games with the team, he sits on 400 goals and 982 points, meaning he’ll have another milestone night at some point this year.

Whether the rest of the Bruins roster is good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup still remains to be seen but there is no arguing against the fact that Bergeron gets them closer. The veteran forward will be in the Hall of Fame one day, and the team is paying him as if he’s a depth option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Bruins Notes: Pastrnak, Krejci, Bergeron, Coaching Staff, LTIR

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Following the completion of the draft yesterday, Boston GM Don Sweeney met with reporters including Eric Russo of the Bruins’ team website to discuss several items pertaining to his team for next season.  While talks have begun regarding an extension for winger David Pastrnak, Sweeney was quick to mention that no numbers regarding the length of a new deal or financial terms but made it clear that the team intends for Pastrnak to be a lifelong Bruin.  The 26-year-old is coming off a 40-goal season and has one year left on his contract with a $6.67MM cap hit and should be able to receive a max-term deal (eight years with Boston, seven if he hits the open market next summer) worth a couple million more than his current rate.

More from Sweeney’s press conference:

  • The team has not yet heard if David Krejci is interested in returning to the NHL for next season. The 36-year-old spent 15 years with Boston before deciding to go back home to his native Czechia for this past season where he had 20 goals and 26 assists in 51 games with HC Olomouc.  When he left, Krejci didn’t rule out a return to the NHL and his return would certainly help bolster their center depth next season.
  • Another center they’re waiting for in terms of making a final decision is Patrice Bergeron. The 36-year-old has been suggested to be leaning towards a return but Sweeney stated that no final decision has been made yet.  However, Sweeney suggested that the contract wouldn’t be an issue, which suggests that the parameters of a deal are in place if Bergeron does officially decide to return.  It’s possible that a final decision is made before free agency opens up on Wednesday.
  • Assistant coaches Joe Sacco, Chris Kelly, and Bob Essensa are all expected to return behind the bench next season with new head coach Jim Montgomery. Meanwhile, interviews continue to fill the vacancy created with the dismissal of assistant coach Kevin Dean earlier this offseason as Boston looks for a new coach to oversee their defensemen.
  • Sweeney is unsure as to whether or not the team will utilize LTIR to start next season. Winger Brad Marchand plus defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk are all expected to miss the start of the year after undergoing surgery but knowing that all will return, it would be difficult to make a big signing this summer and then try to clear money midseason when those players are ready to return.

Snapshots: Bergeron, Kostopoulos, Novak

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The hockey world exploded last night when a report surfaced from Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette indicating that Patrice Bergeron had decided to return for one more year with the Boston Bruins. While nothing has been announced yet, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reported that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will meet with Bergeron next week.

There’s no doubt that getting the five-time Selke Trophy winner back would improve the Bruins chances of contending next season, though they will still be starting the year without key players like Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy after recent surgeries. The team also needs a head coach in the meantime, with Porter writing that David Quinn, Jim Montgomery, and Jay Leach are currently the leading candidates.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have promoted Tom Kostopoulos to director of player development, following the departure of Scott Young to the Vancouver Canucks earlier today. Kostopoulos has been with the organization as a development coach for the past four seasons and had previously played in the system as captain of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The team also promoted Madison Nikkel to video coach.
  • Minnesota Wild prospect Pavel Novak has announced that he was recently diagnosed with an oncological disease and will begin treatment soon, pushing back any of his offseason training. The 20-year-old forward had a great season for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL and would have likely been part of the Czech World Junior roster this summer, after being named to it in December before the tournament was postponed. Selected 146th overall in 2020, Novak is confident that he will be able to resume his playing career at some point.

Snapshots: Bergeron, Sauve, Strome

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Boston Bruins Captain Patrice Bergeron spoke with the media Sunday following the announcement that he won his record-breaking fifth Selke Trophy. During his availability, Bergeron broke the news that he had surgery on his left elbow last week to repair a tendon (link). As NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin writes, Bergeron’s recovery is expected to take 10-12 weeks from the date of the surgery last week, and he is still yet to make up his mind about his future. Interestingly, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press asked Bergeron why, other than being unsigned, would he be considering retirement, considering the current state of his game. Bergeron responded that being unsigned is in fact the reason he is currently taking the time to consider his future.

The Selke-winner, who has only ever played for the Bruins at the NHL level, is an impending UFA coming off an eight-year, $55MM contract that held an AAV of $6.875MM. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, falling to the St. Louis Blues, the Bruins have taken steps back in the past few seasons, and now face difficult questions regarding their salary cap, which could impact Bergeron’s next contract.

  • Turning to the PHF, as reported by Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada last night, the Buffalo Beauts are expected to sign goaltender Kassidy Sauve for the upcoming season. A goaltender who can trace her family roots back to Georges Vezina, Sauve was a standout in the NCAA, spending three seasons with The Ohio State University before transferring to Clarkson University for her final season. Sauve, now 26, had her most impressive season while at Clarkson, posting an eye-popping 1.71 goals-against average and .937 save-percentage in 36 games, compiling a 27-2-7 record. Most recently Sauve splayed for HPK in the Finnish women’s league, where she again had incredible numbers, going 8-0 with a 0.88 goals-against average and .964 save-percentage.
  • New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome left today’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an apparent injury. Strome took a hit from Tampa’s Ondrej Palat in the second period and immediately appeared to be in distress, heading straight down the tunnel. The Rangers forward was absent for several minutes before returning to take one shift, but indicated to trainers that he could not continue, heading back to the locker room shortly thereafter. In Strome, the Rangers lose a key top-six forward and member of their powerplay; after a 54-point regular season, Strome has added another nine points in 16 playoff games heading into today’s action. Time will tell how significant Strome’s injury is, and though he is yet to be ruled out for the remainder of this game, his initial return only to quickly exit again is not a good sign for the Rangers.

Patrice Bergeron Wins 2022 Selke Trophy

at CDT | by 2 Comments

For a record-breaking fifth time in his NHL career, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron has won the Frank J. Selke Trophy (link). The Selke goes to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. A likely Hall of Famer when all is said and done, this is Bergeron’s first Selke since the 2016-17 season, however his reputation throughout his career as an elite two-way center has not wavered in the slightest in that time.

In addition to his five Selke Trophies, Bergeron has not finished outside the top three in Selke voting since 2010-11, when he finished fourth for the award. Bergeron’s 11 consecutive seasons as a finalist are the most of any player for any award, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s 10 straight seasons as a Hart Trophy finalist. Perhaps his best skill, Bergeron was again spectacular in the faceoff circle this season, leading the league in faceoff percentage at 61.9% and in faceoffs won, with 991. His 1,600 faceoffs taken in 2021-22 was second in the NHL only to Leon Draisaitl. On the other side of the puck, Bergeron was again a key contributor for Boston, tallying 25 goals and 40 assists in 73 games this season to go with a plus-26 rating.

Following Bergeron in the voting were a host of familiar names, including Elias Lindholm, Aleksander Barkov, Ryan O’Reilly, and Anthony Cirelli, rounding out the top five. Barkov and O’Reilly are past winners of the award and like Bergeron are regarded as some of the best two-way players in the sport. Cirelli is yet to win the award, but is among the players considered most likely to win the award who have not yet. Lindholm’s second place finish is the best in the history of the Calgary Flames, and is his third season in the past four receiving Selke votes (link).

The award comes amid a time of speculation about Bergeron’s future in the NHL. While still an elite player, Bergeron is a pending UFA with the Boston Bruins, who do have to make some tough decisions when it comes to the salary cap. Soon to be 37, the Bruins’ captain has played 1,216 NHL regular seasons games and another 167 playoff games spanning 18 seasons, including a 2011 Stanley Cup. Still being capable, if not supremely talented, might indicate that Bergeron would want to continue to play and chase another Stanley Cup, however being on top of his game, evidenced by the record-breaking Selke Trophy could also give Bergeron incentive to retire if he so chooses, allowing him to go out on his own terms, at the top of his game.

2022 Selke Trophy Finalists Announced

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The NHL has announced the finalists for yet another of its end-of-year awards, the Frank J. Selke Trophy. Always a hotly-contested and highly-debated award, the Selke Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association on the basis of “the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”

This year’s finalists are Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames, and Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins.

Barkov took home the award last season after previous top-five finishes and is one of the best two-way players in the league. His offensive numbers took another step forward this season, while his defensive play stayed quite high. Paired at times with rookie Anton Lundell on the penalty kill (a player who might find himself on the Selke ballot eventually), Barkov averaged more than two minutes of short-handed time a night for the Panthers, and was once again one of the most dominant faceoff men in the NHL. His 56.9% win percentage in the dot was the best of his career and continued a five-year trend of improvement in that area.

Lindholm, meanwhile, is a Selke finalist for the first time after anchoring the best even-strength line in the NHL this season. When he was on the ice alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, the Flames were nearly unstoppable, scoring more than twice as often as the opponents. The trio finished 1-2-3 in +/- rating, with Lindholm dragging his career number back into the black with a +61. While his linemates have a lot of impact on that overall success, the 27-year-old came into his own as a shutdown center, and also logged more short-handed ice time than any other Flames forward.

It always comes back to Bergeron though, who is now a Selke finalist for the 11th season in a row. Now 36, some would have expected his game to take a step backward at some point, but that wasn’t this season. The Bruins captain had one of the (if not the) best defensive seasons of his career, completely smothering the opponent whenever he was on the ice. Winning more than 60% of his draws for the fifth time in his career, dominating possession even more than in previous years, and actually setting a career-high with 78 hits, Bergeron will be tough to beat again this season.

With four Selke wins in the past, Bergeron has a chance to pass Bob Gainey and become the all-time leader with five trophies should he take it home this year. Barkov could become just the tenth player to win more than one.

Bruins Notes: Bergeron, Marchand, Grzelcyk

at CDT | by 4 Comments

After the Boston Bruins fell in seven games to their first-round opponent Carolina Hurricanes, the conversation surrounding the team and its future has centered around its captain: Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron, who turns 37 on July 24th, is one of the franchise’s biggest stars and one of the most widely respected players in the modern history of the game. He’s also set to become an unrestricted free agent at the beginning of the new league year, as the eight-year contract extension he signed in 2013 is expiring. So, naturally, given his age and contract situation, there is a significant amount of attention fixated on Bergeron’s future with the only NHL club he has ever known.

There is at least some uncertainty here. As relayed by The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, Bergeron said today that he will need time to make a decision about his future and whether he will continue playing. But, with that in mind, when asked if he could imagine playing for another team if he chooses to continue his career, there was no hesitation from Bergeron. He gave a simple answer: “no.” While Bergeron may be now well into his late-thirties, his game is still at an elite level. He is expected to be among the top contenders for a Selke Trophy once again, and he was productive offensively, scoring 25 goals and 65 points in 73 games. So, he would likely have many suitors on the open market if he sought to explore other options. But based on his comments today, it seems that he is making it clear to the hockey world that he will remain a Boston Bruin for the rest of his playing days.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Bruins:

  • It seemed that Bergeron’s longtime partner in crime Brad Marchand was his normal self in the team’s playoff series versus the Hurricanes, agitating opposing players and fans while stuffing the net to the tune of eleven points in seven games. But in reality, despite that production, Marchand was not his normal self, at least regarding his health. Marchand revealed today, per Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now, that he had been playing through an injury to his shoulder since suffering the ailment due to a hit from Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway in the regular season. While he remained productive throughout the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, Marchand did say that there was the possibility that he may require surgery this summer. He noted that he would need to “get it checked” with doctors first, though.
  • Marchand is not the only Bruin who was playing through an injury in the first round. Today Matt Grzelcyk revealed (per Matt Porter of the Boston Globe) that he had been playing through a dislocated shoulder, and that he would need surgery this offseason. He also noted that his recovery from that surgery could cause him to miss the start of next season. Grzelcyk only got into five games against the Hurricanes and did not manage to score a point, play that could be reflective of the toll the injury was taking on his game. Grzelcyk did have a productive regular season, though, and ranked second among Bruins defensemen in points. He has grown into one of the more important defensemen the Bruins have, so getting him back to health will be crucial if Boston wants to hit the ground running at the start of next season.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top