David Krejci leaves Bruins for home

The Bruins’ struggle to remain among the NHL’s elite teams took a major hit on Friday when David Krejci, a Black-and-Gold fixture since he came up from Providence for good in the 2007-08 season, announced that he is indeed headed back home to play in his native Czech Republic.

The 35-year-old Krejci had said in his last Zoom press conference at the end of last season that he was mulling a return back home and, through the club’s Twitter account, Krejci himself broke the news, thanking the Boston fans for embracing him throughout his career.

“Since the end of the season, as I have thought about my future, it has become clear that I need to make a difficult decision for my family and I,” wrote Krejci. “At this point in my career and life I need to return to the Czech Republic and play in front of my family who sacrificed so much to help me achieve my NHL dreams. I want to play in front of my parents, brother and friends. I want my children to live where I grew up, spend time with so many Czech family members who love them and create lifelong memories.”

While Krejci’s lengthy statement had an air of finality to it, he did not say in the statement that he was retiring from the NHL or the Bruins, giving him some wiggle room to make a return at some time. If he plays in the pro Czech league in games after Dec. 15, he would have to go through waivers if he wanted to return to the Bruins in the upcoming season. One source also said the door is indeed still open for a Krejci return.

Still, at his age, this very well could be farewell to the sublime playmaker.

“The Bruins organization has always treated me with the utmost respect,” Krejci wrote. “I am so thankful for my teammates, the trainers and support staff, coaches and management who have allowed me to be a part of so many great teams. Obviously, the 2011, 2013 and 2019 teams stick out, but truthfully I have loved every Bruins team I have been a part of.

“So for now, I want to thank all the Bruins fans for the support they have shown my family and I over the last 14 years. I will forever be thankful.

“This is not goodbye, I will not be a stranger. I will be a Bruin forever. I will see you at the TD Garden soon, and I will always bleed Black and Gold.”

In 962 career NHL games, the centerman amassed 215-515-730 totals and, in 156 playoff games, he had 42-82-124 totals. His shining moments came in the Stanley Cup-winning season of 2011 and the 2013 finals run, when he had 49 points in those 47 games while playing on a heavy line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.

From 2015 till just recently, Krejci had a revolving door at his right wing yet was still able to produce at a high level. His teaming with Taylor Hall after Hall’s acquisition at the trade deadline last April looked like the start of something spectacular, but the pull of home turned out to be too strong for Krejci to ignore.

For more than a decade, he and Patrice Bergeron provided the B’s with one of the best 1-2 center combos in the league.

“David is not only an amazing teammate but he is a great friend,” the captain Bergeron wrote in a text. “As much as we will miss him I couldn’t be happier for him and his family to return home to Czech. Krech is a true Bruin, he embodied everything it meant to put on the Spoked-B. I learned a lot from him and will cherish all the amazing memories of our time together.”

While this is not good news for the Bruins, management wasn’t blindsided. That much was evident in the three forwards that GM Don Sweeney signed in free agency on Wednesday — Nick Foligno, Erik Haula and Tomas Nosek, all of whom can play both wing and center. With the additional signing of defenseman Derek Forbort and goalie Linus Ullmark, the B’s are approximately $1 million under the salary cap. Any additional significant moves would require a trade.

The guess here is that Charlie Coyle bumps up to take Krejci’s spot between Hall and possibly Craig Smith, unless youngster Jack Studnicka is ready to take the next step. We shall see.

But after the departures of Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug last year, the uncertain status of Tuukka Rask and now Krejci leaving, the times they are a changing for the Bruins.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2TI6fOQ