A couple weeks back, we looked at Round 1’s losers in the Stanley Cup playoffs and named the teams we were most optimistic about. This time, we don our pessimist hats for the Roundtable as we look at the Round 2 losers. Of the four teams eliminated in Round 2, which one are you most worried about going forward? MATT LARKIN: I’m not too sure where the Boston Bruins go from here.
They have the NHL’s best points percentage over the past decade with no championships to show for it. Because of their sustained success, their farm crop is absolutely barren. That means they have little help coming from within and also few assets to cash out in trades for veteran upgrades.
Their lack of high-end offensive talent after David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand was glaring in their Round 2 defeat, and Marchand is in decline at 36. Trading goaltender Linus Ullmark to fill other roster needs can help prop the window open, but the Bruins need multiple pieces if they want to fashion themselves actual Cup contenders next year. STEVEN ELLIS : I was high on the Carolina Hurricanes bandwagon for a few years now, but all they’ve done is find new ways to lose.
They’ve got a good core, but goaltending has been sink or swim too much for my liking and there’s too many free agents to worry about this summer. It’s like the Leafs – how many times do you have to tease the fans before you actually do something meaningful? Dating back to that first conference final run in 2019, it feels like there .
