The Future of Patrice Bergeron has Reportedly been Confirmed

After an unprecedentedly successful season, the Boston Bruins came into the Stanley Cup Playoffs carrying high hopes. Nonetheless, an unexpected defeat by the emerging Florida Panthers in a first-round matchup of seven games crushed these hopes.

A whirlwind of speculation began almost immediately after the conclusion of the game, suggesting that Bruins Captain Patrice Bergeron may be on the verge of retirement from the NHL.

In addition, alternate captain David Krejci has also been in the eye of the retirement storm, with rumors regarding his future proliferating.

Much to the fans' disappointment, the Boston Bruins are reportedly set to lose both Bergeron and Krejci to retirement, confirming the worst fears of Bruins supporters.

There is a growing likelihood of Bergeron and Krejci's retirement, as reported by Lauren Spencer, a writer from BNG Productions.

With the retirement of their two top centreman, the Bruins find themselves at a significant crossroads this offseason.

Despite the fact that the Bruins will no longer bear the cap hit from Bergeron and Krejci, they still face severe cap constraints.

Performance bonus overages mean that the Bruins only have 15 players under contract for the next season. Pair that with a cap space of under $5 million, and it doesn't look very good for the Bruins.

As they confront these obstacles, many worry that this may mark the end of the Bruins contention run. The decisions they make throughout the offseason could be the deciding factor.

As Read on MarkerZone - REPORT: Patrice Bergeron's Future Has Been Confirmed