The Boston Bruins face an uncertain future after their decision to fire Bruce Cassidy. The results of that decision could see the team enter a rebuild, as they'll be hampered by injuries to start the 2022-23 season and have all but missed their window for a championship run. Rumors of a potential David Pastrnak trade have begun to flare up, and he's not the only key player who could leave the team this offseason, as Patrice Bergeron is out of contract and could be considering retirement, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. 

Bergeron's future in the NHL has yet to be decided, as the 36-year-old recently underwent surgery that's set to keep him out for 10-12 weeks. With Cassidy no longer serving as head coach, someone who helped Bergeron flourish in the second half of his career, the veteran forward may not be inclined to come back for another season.

After 19 years in the league, it's quite possible that Bergeron opts for retirement, rather than coming back to a Bruins team that would be limping throughout much of the first half of the season.

Star left winger Brad Marchand underwent surgery on his hip and is expected to miss a significant amount of the 2022-23 season, while star defender Charlie McAvoy is also going to be sidelined to start the campaign.

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If Pastrnak is traded and the Bruins appear to be headed towards a rebuild, Bergeron would have even less incentive to return for another go-around after their first-round playoff exit vs. the Hurricanes.

“Now I’m 36 and I don’t have a contract,” Bergeron said, via The Athletic. “I can actually take a step back for the first time in my career, first time in my life, that I can just reflect on what I do want looking forward for the future. Talk with my family, with my wife. It’s just more of that — the fact that I have that opportunity to do that, take a step back, take some time for myself and really know what I want.”

Bergeron's future may well be tied to the direction the Bruins opt to head, and their decision to move on from Cassidy could be the first signal that a rebuild is brewing in Boston. If Bergeron doesn't feel the Bruins can compete for a title, which may well be the reality of the situation in Boston, it's wholly possible he opts to call it a career after 19 prolific seasons.