The Boston Bruins have now officially lost two longtime members of their team. Patrice Bergeron retired back on July 25 after a stellar 19-year career. And on Monday, David Krejci followed in his footsteps after spending 16 years of his career wearing a Boston Bruins uniform.

This development isn't an unexpected one. After they fell to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, speculation about the futures of Bergeron and Krejci immediately kicked off. Boston went through the NHL Draft and NHL Free Agency with no official decision from either player.

Now, both have decided to hang up their skates. And they will both be incredibly difficult to replace. Bergeron goes down as one of, if not the single greatest, defensive forwards of all time. Krejci, meanwhile, thrived in the big moments. He often created moments of magic for the Bruins when they needed it most.

Boston needs a new captain with Bergeron out the door. But more importantly, they need some players to start carrying the load now that Bergeron and Krejci are gone. And with that in mind, Bruins fans should keep an eye on these three players who need to step up in the absence of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

3) Milan Lucic

Let's start with a player who is likely only back in Boston for one more run. Milan Lucic first played for the Bruins from 2007 until 2015 when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Now that he's back, his leadership is needed now more than ever.

Of course, Lucic is not the player he used to be. And it'd be unfair to expect that from him. However, he is the type of leader the Bruins need right now. As the team transitions into a new era, his voice is key to upholding the examples left by Krejci and Bergeron.

Lucic played with both players for a long time. He won a Stanley Cup with them back in 2011 when Boston defeated the Vancouver Canucks. If anyone understands their leadership style, it's Lucic. And now, it's up to him to pass this along to the next group of Bruins stars.

2) Jake DeBrusk

Jake DeBrusk is coming off a career year this past season. The 26-year-old Edmonton native scored a career-high 27 goals and a career-high 50 points in 64 games. These are fine numbers, but now, the Bruins need more.

DeBrusk has played in a Bruins sweater for the last six years. It hasn't exactly been the most beautiful relationship between player and team. In fact, DeBrusk requested a trade from Boston back in 2021. He has since rescinded this request.

His rescinding of the trade request stands as a commitment to the Bruins organization. Now, he needs to step up and be a major contributor to this team. DeBrusk likely plays a bigger role on the team now. He must take full advantage of this and step his game up.

1) Charlie McAvoy

Charlie McAvoy appears likely to become Bruins captain at some point down the line. It's not entirely clear if he'll wear the C this upcoming season. After all, Brad Marchand is a perfect candidate to replace Bergeron as captain. Down the line, however, McAvoy certainly will wear the C.

McAvoy has played a major role on Boston's blueline since debuting in 2017-18. In fact, he's averaged no less than 22 minutes a night in every season since he debuted. He even averaged around 24 minutes a night in two of the last three seasons.

McAvoy is clearly a valued member of the Bruins and will be for a long time. Boston will give him the C barring some unforeseen development. However, McAvoy needs to step up right and become even more of a leader for this team than he already is.