Well that was rough.  It was a frustrating season for Bruins fans.  Kessel leaves.  Everyone in a Black and Gold sweater seemed to get seriously injured.  I won't begin to mention the disappointment of the postseason.  But here we are, where we were last year, but I'm more optimistic than I was last year.  There's a lot of burgeoning young talent we have.  There's also, the obvious, two first round picks.  So to make this short and sweet, here are my questions to you, the Boston Bruins nation:  What will this team look like next year?  Faster?  More offensive?  Bigger?  Better or worse?  Who will stay and who will go.

Here are my thoughts, and bear in mind that I am no salary cap number cruncher, and I am barely familiar with who the RFA's and UFA's are.  First off, seriously guys.... don't trade Tim Thomas, at least not before the season starts.  God forbid Tuukka goes all Steve Mason on us.  He's got a hefty contract, but he didn't play horribly this year.  He played as well in net as the team in front of him played up the ice.  Secondly, as I mentioned in a previous post... should we keep Michael Ryder?  I'd like to think he could bounce back, but I have my doubts.  I think the important guys to keep are obviously the solid defensive core, which includes Johnny Boychuk and even (gasp) Dennis Wideman.  We have depth at center but we need finishing wingers.  Otherwise, as we saw a lot this year, the Marc Savards and David Krejcis will have no one to receive their oozing talent as passers.  Also, assuming we actually get Taylor Hall (which may be a lofty assumption) will he even see time in the big leagues as soon as next year?  I know Claude Julien and Peter Chiarelli like to take their time developing, but can't they make an exception just this once?  That's it for my sobbing, half-drunk, post-history-making collapse rant.