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Following the crushing defeat in the 2013 Stanley Cups Finals, the Boston Bruins must now look to the offseason to prepare the team fro next year. There are two big names that the Bruins will need to sign who have proved instrumental to their success this season.
The first is Nathan Horton, who will be a unrestricted free agent this year. The playoff production from Horton has been superb. The 28-year-old winger netted nine goals in 22 games while tallying up 19 points. Fellow Bruin David Krejci was the only player in the league with more points, finishing with 26.
This included him playing through a shoulder injury that will require him to have surgery on it during the offseason. It does not seem that he would want to leave either. He has been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in his three seasons in Boston. Look for the Bruins to re-sign Horton quickly to because his availability may start attracting some other teams.
The next priority is Tuukka Rask, who will become a restricted free agent on July 5. Rask is the most important player to re-sign. The starting goalie is arguably in the prime of his career. He had the third-best save percentage in the NHL last season while having the best save percentage and fewest goals allowed during the playoffs.
It does not appear that Rask will want to leave or that Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli will allow him to walk. Expect him to be re-signed as soon as possible.
Tim N. is a Boston Bruins writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @timnikolou, or add him to your network on Google
