With hockey shutdown for the foreseeable future, I will do my best to provide you all with interesting and engaging content as we all look to pass time until the great game of hockey returns.
My thoughts are the same as many. As much as this absolutely stinks, shutting down the NHL—and all other major sports—was 100% the right decision and really the only logical one.
Nothing is more important than the health of the players, team and arena staff and fans.
With many questions surrounding the NHL and what lies ahead for the remainder of the regular season and eventually the playoffs, many questions surround the Bruins and several of their players.
For the next few days, I am going to post several different would you rather questions surrounding the Bruins.
I encourage you to chime in with your thoughts and which option you rather the Bruins go with.
Would you rather...sign Tuukka Rask to an extension this summer, or let him play out his contract year?
Set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, Rask will be 34 when his eight-year, $56 million contract expires in June of 2021.
The free agent market in 2021 for goalies has the potential to be one of the biggest in recent memory as names such as Frederik Andersen, Jordan Binnington, Antti Raanta and David Rittich will potentially join Rask as UFA’s in 2021.
As the most notable goalie on the list, Rask could command top dollar on the open market especially if Rask’s stellar play thus far in the 2019-2020 season continues through the end of next season.
Since taking over as the Bruins starting goalie in the 2012-13 season, statistically Rask has been one of the game’s best. Among goalies who have played a minimum of 350 games since the start of the 2012-13 season Rask ranks:
Tied for 1st with Ben Bishop: .921 save percentage.
Tied for 1st with Marc-Andre Fleury: 39 shutouts.
1st in goals-against average: 2.28
I expect Rask’s play and numbers to stay the same, especially with the Bruins making it a priority to give Rask as much rest as possible with a backup capable of getting the job done like Jaroslav Halak has done for them.
Regardless if the regular season picks up where they’ve left off, or the remainder of the regular season is canceled, Rask should be a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, an award he’s won once before.
Rask has been a key figure in the Bruins success to date, and a big reason as to why the Bruins were closing in on the Presidents’ Trophy prior to the league’s recent shutdown.
As of the league’s stoppage, among qualifying goalies, (23 games or more) Rask ranks first in goals-against average, (2.12) second in save percentage (.929) and is tied for second with five shutouts.
Rask’s numbers five-on-five are equally as strong where he ranks second in save percentage, (.941) and second in goals-against average (1.65) Rask trails his former backup Anton Khudobin in both five-on-five categories.
The pipeline in goal behind Rask looks better than it did this time last year, however.
Dan Vladar currently leads the American Hockey League with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. 21-year old Jeremy Swayman is coming off a red-hot sophomore campaign at the University of Maine where he finished the year with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
While Swayman is a few years away from professional hockey action, Vlader could be an option as the Bruins backup goalie next year, giving him his first taste of NHL action.
Vladar's season in Providence could open the door for the Bruins to let pending UFA Jaroslav Halak walk in free agency.
My decision: I think Rask is indeed in the Bruins plans for the next 3-4 years. So yes, I would rather see the Bruins sign Rask to an extension prior to the start of the 2020-21 campaign. It certainly can save them a few million in cap space by getting the deal done a little early.
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