As former captain Zdeno Chara’s illustrious career began to navigate its way through the back nine, it was hard to imagine him in any other sweater than the Bruins Spoked-B.

But with the Bruins deciding to roll with their youth on the backend, and Chara believing he could give more than the role the Bruins wanted to see in him, Chara left for Washington, ending his tenure in Boston.

The upcoming 2021-22 campaign is the final one on Patrice Bergeron’s current eight-year contract, signed back in July of 2013.

Like Bergeron is about to do, David Krejci entered the 2020-21 season without a contract extension and on the final year of a long-term deal signed in 2014.

As the summer progressed it seemed more and more like Krejci and the Bruins would take a similar road as they did with Chara in March of 2018 and 2019, inking their captain—at the time— to a one-year contract each March.

However, the Krejci contract never came, and the veteran left Boston to head back home to his native land of Czech Republic to finish his professional playing career.

That, in a way, makes Bergeron entering the season without a contract extension more worrisome than maybe it should be.

“I’m going to play out this year and talk about that after,” Bergeron said Wednesday at the Bruins Foundation golf tournament.

“I have a year left on my contract and I think it would be useless for me to think about the future. I want to create something special. We want to work toward winning a Stanley Cup. I know everyone says that, but it’s definitely our goal as a team. I think we’re always competitive to be in that group of teams. I think that’s where my focus is at right now.”

Of course, Bergeron’s situation is a little different than Krejci’s. With Krejci, there was always a desire to finish his career in the Czech. Bergeron, being from Canada, doesn’t come with a similar desire.

Bergeron is set to enter his 18th season at the age of 36. Coming into the league at 18-years old, Bergeron has a lot of miles under his belt.

There’s not that warm fuzzy feeling that playing beyond the coming season is a guarantee.

“That’s something that a lot of people have asked me this summer,” said Bergeron. “The way I approach this year is I want to concentrate on this year.”

Given the concussion issues Bergeron had early in his career, still going strong and at the high level of hockey he’s been able to play it is surely a blessing. A groin injury has hampered him in years past, but Bergeron is coming off a season where injuries were no issue.

“I shouldn't talk about that, I guess I don't want to jinx myself. But I feel good, I feel healthy and confident,” he said. “And mentally, I'm excited. I want to play this year, and have a good year as a team, and, again, that's what my focus is. But I do feel great.”

The Bruins Stanley Cup window is quickly closing, and depending on whose house you’re looking through, that window very well may have already been slammed shut.

Clearly, Bergeron is on board as always, hungry for another Stanley Cup. Whether or not this is his last kick at the can, or even last kick in a Bruins uniform remains to be seen.

It’s difficult to see Bergeron playing his near perfect two-way game for any other NHL franchise, but as we saw with Chara, anything is possible.

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