Following another disappointing playoff loss, the Bruins off-season is not off to a great start. There’s the uncertainty surrounding captain Patrice Bergeron and what his future looks like.
Then, despite still currently signing players to contracts, general manager Don Sweeney remains without a contract.
And, do we really still know if Bruce Cassidy will be behind the Bruins bench?
To make matters worse, the Bruins are dealing with a handful of injuries that have required surgery, causing several key players to miss time to start the upcoming season.
Last week Brad Marchand underwent a successful arthroscopy and labral repair on both of his hips and will be out for approximately six months.
On Friday, a late news dump by the Bruins revealed that Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly also underwent procedures on Frida.
McAvoy underwent a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital that comes with an expected recovery time of six months.
Grzelcyk underwent a right shoulder open stabilization procedure, his surgery also taking place at Massachusetts General Hospital. Grzelcyk’s expected recovery time is five months.
Out in Green Bay, Reilly underwent a right ankle tendon repair and removal of bone fragments, his expected recovery time is three months.
It’s a tough blow to a Bruins team that is very much in limbo when it comes to what direction the Bruins take in their off-season plan.
It’s easy to wonder if these injuries will impact Bergeron’s decision about a return.
Either way, it’s a tough pill to swallow.