Morning Skate: Pending

It is Wednesday, my dudes.

The offseason rolls on, with the NHL Awards and the NHL Draft next week. The Bruins should have a decent amount to do at the Awards, though they’ll be a bit less busy at the Draft.

(Barring a trade or two, of course.)

The most recent bit of Bruins news involved a new contract for goalie prospect Brandon Bussi, who had himself a solid season for Providence last year.

Many were reading the tea leaves after the contract was announced, insisting that the move meant Linus Ullmark would be on the move.

While it’s entirely possible that’s the case, it’s worth noting that the Bruins very much needed a reliable goalie for organizational depth, as Bussi shouldered the majority of the load for the P-Bruins last season (and appears likely to do the same this season).

So sure, the new deal for Bussi could be a sign that Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman are out the door, or it could just mean that the B’s want to keep Bussi in the organization.

Your perspective depends on how active your mental rumor mill is at this point.

Elsewhere, The Athletic released an update of its “salary-cap era” franchise rankings today. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a system that gives franchises points for certain achievements (making the playoffs, winning a Cup, making a conference final, etc) since 2005-2006.

I won’t post all of the content, but the B’s are ranked fourth - the same spot they were in when The Athletic released its last list in 2021.

While we’re all mad about the way this season ended, a list like this provides an interesting dose of perspective in terms of how things have gone over the past 20ish years: 11 playoff appearances, three Stanley Cup Final appearances, one Stanley Cup win.

Certainly not terrible, right? That’s the spirit!

Anyways, what’s on tap for today?