Patrice Bergeron: Will He Consider A Farewell Tour In Vegas?
Patrice Bergeron is too good to kick the bucket and he knows it. If he has any common sense, he knows the Bruins are dead dogs walking with or without him. Returning to Boston shouldn’t be an option unless he wants to suffer another first round exit.
Returning to the dead dog Bruins can’t be an option. Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, and Brad Marchand will miss the start of the season with offseason surgeries. The teardown is coming. If the David Pastrnak trade rumors didn’t clue you in on that, I can’t help you.
Retiring also can’t be an option. Sure, Bergeron has made his money. He can retire and feel good about the things he’s accomplished. Stanley Cup champ, five time Selke winner, 400 goals scored, etc. Bergeron absolutely has nothing left to prove. Bergeron just won another Selke award and led the NHL in faceoff win percentage at 36. The guy has way more in the tank and it would be a shame to see him retire prematurely.
Why not ride off into the sunset with the ultimate swansong year in Vegas? It’s impossible to know how Bergeron feels about Cassidy. However, following his former coach that carried a .672 win percentage in Boston to Vegas feels like a way more logical option. With Cassidy in Vegas, how can we rule this possibility out?
Vegas isn’t the only option, but it may make the most sense. Bergeron won’t want to suit up for an Eastern Conference team just to bury his former Bruins all year. That wouldn’t sit right with any fan. However, going out West and winning one more Stanley Cup? There isn’t a reasonable Bruins fan alive that would be upset with that given what Bergeron has done for that organization.
No Colts fan begrudged Peyton Manning for going out on top with the Broncos… I know it’s a different sport but chasing a ring shouldn’t be frowned upon. Especially when Bergeron’s impact could be the very thing that pushes a contender over the top.
That isn’t to say that Vegas is the only option. Pulling a Ray Bourque and heading to Colorado feels tempting. Then again, I’m not sure the storyline is quite the same if the Avalanche win the Cup this year without him. Edmonton and Connor McDavid could be another option. However, that team is so flawed I’m not sure it’s really even tempting if they can’t retain Evander Kane. Their cap sheet is littered with bad deals that likely prevent them from winning the Cup.
The storyline feels right with the VGK. A relatively new team that didn’t even have the opportunity to draft Bergeron if they wanted. A team that’s been successful from jump street but is missing that elusive first Stanley Cup. Imagine the hero Bergeron would be to help guide this expansion Vegas team to a title? Forever a hero.
With Vegas, the fit almost makes too much sense. At 37, I’m sure Bergeron doesn’t want to play heavy minutes during the regular season anymore anyway. This is about titles and legacy at this point. Playing closer to 17 minutes instead of 20 just makes way more sense. Bergeron shouldn’t have to carry a team anymore. His leadership and overall presence are more than valuable on their own.
With Vegas, Bergeron would have the opportunity to mentor Jack Eichel (who was born and raised in the Boston area). Boston doesn’t have any young hot shot centers coming through the pipeline. Having the opportunity to mentor Eichel to help take his game to the next level already makes the Knights an attractive landing spot.
Imagine the things that Bergeron could do in a Jordan Staal role for the VGK? Bergeron won 62% of his faceoffs this year. Playing a third line center and special teams ace role could take Vegas from a good to Cup winning team. Having Eichel, William Karlsson, Bergeron, and (Nolan Patrick?) down the middle would be as good as it gets across the league.
The Bruins tear down is coming whether Bergeron wants it to happen or not. The run is over. There is no saying that Bergeron couldn’t recruit a few of his friends to join him with the Knights. We know how aggressive Vegas has been to land star talent.
Maybe a Pastrnak trade is unlikely given the trade assets Vegas has even though it may be possible if Pasta puts things out to the media saying he won’t re-sign and wants to join the Knights in an NBA style move. Maybe a Marchand is more likely. With Marchand coming off hip surgery and out until December, his value certainly can’t be too high. It’s certainly something Vegas could pull off if Bergeron were to sign with the Knights.
How could Bergeron say no to a potential playing with this Knights team with his former coach and a possible piece from the Bruins? The odds that Vegas has the type of bad injury luck again two consecutive years are low. Vegas was the last team to beat Colorado in a playoff series. Helping a reloaded Vegas group take down the eventual Cup winning Avs would be a hell of a retirement tour…
It makes too much sense to happen. Maybe Bergeron is too prideful and would rather go out at the top of his game. Maybe he feels a false sense of loyalty that he would rather only play in Boston and retire as a one team athlete. If I were him? Oh, my bags are packed and we’re going to win one more title. With this Knights team? It’s more than doable.
