Boston Bruins

Bruins’ Neely Thinks Tuukka Rask Will Want to Return Next Season

Bruins Cam Neeley spoke about the likelihood that goaltender Tuukka Rask might be back with the team next season.

by
NHL Trade Talk
May 28, 2021

The Boston Bruins are trying to make a long run in the 2020-21 NHL playoffs and have put together a solid team in an attempt to do that. While fans of the team hope the B’s make it past the New York Islanders and beyond, off-ice questions will become a focus for the organization, win or lose.

The most common names you’ll hear when it comes to some of these off-ice decisions are Taylor Hall, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask. Hall has said he’d like to stay and the expectation seems to be that Krejci will be willing to sign a short-term deal. But, what about the veteran goaltender? Is he thinking about coming back? Is he considering retirement?

W/both David Krejci & Tuukka Rask at the end of their contracts w/Bruins, Cam Neely weighs in on their respective situations: "I think they both would probably like to finish their careers as Boston Bruins, so let’s see what happens this off-season" 🐻🏒🏆 https://t.co/l3dXMLqR0P
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) May 25, 2021

Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston notes that president Cam Neely is interested in bringing Rask back, but said the two sides are holding off talking about his future until after the season ends. He noted, “Both Tuukka and our camp, we said we’d table everything until after the season and see how things go. Get a better sense after the season is over for how Tuukka is feeling both mentally and physically, and we’ll go from there.” When asked if he thought Rask was going to want to return, he responded: “My guess is that they would. I think they both would probably like to finish their careers as a Boston Bruin, so let’s see what happens this offseason.”

Bruins Should Keep Rask, If They Can

Rask is the ideal goalie for the Bruins as they make a transition and usher in a new era of players. Some of the Bruins core is aging into the back-nine of their NHL careers and the Bruins will be trying to find the right mix of veterans, prospects and players in their prime to continue to keep their window to win open. Rask is now in the midst of his eighth Stanley Cup Playoffs run in a 14-year career with Boston. There may not be a better player to pass the torch to a goalie of the future.

Rask has played 98 playoff games to this point and has a career playoff save percentage a .927.

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