Don Sweeney Hints At A Possible David Krejci Return To Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- When announcing that he was leaving the Bruins to go play in the Czech Republic last week, David Krejci said that he would be back at TD Garden "soon." Whether that means he'll be back as a spectator or back in a Bruins sweater remains to be seen, but it's led to some speculation that he may indeed return to Boston at some point in the next few years.
Don Sweeney's comments on Friday will only add fuel to that fire. Speaking after the conclusion of the team's developmental camp, the Bruins GM hinted at a possible Krejci return -- twice -- when answering questions about how the B's would replace the long-time centerman.
"I think we addressed some areas that we wanted to. Ultimately, with David making the decision, we're wondering if he may return at some point in time. But that's open-ended," Sweeney told reporters.
Sweeney said later that the Bruins will likely have to replace Krejci "by committee," which he admitted was not ideal. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said Thursday that Charlie Coyle will get first crack at filling Krejci's skates on Boston's second line, but when asked about it Friday, Sweeney again hinted at a possible Krejci reunion.
"We'll see if somewhere down the road, David Krejci opens the door back up," said Sweeney. "But again, that's his own family decision, and there's no timeline there. We did have a heads up on that while we were in the process of trying to fill in from a depth perspective in free agency."
On July 30, Krejci announced that he was signing with HC Olomouc in the Czech Extraliga, whose regular season ends in March. Maybe the 35-year-old could return to the B's after that, but any sort of playoff run by HC Olomouc would further delay any reunion.
And that is just the first hurdle. The next would be that Krejci would have to clear waivers if he returns to the NHL. He could may make it clear to other teams that he doesn't want to play for anyone but the Bruins, but one of Boston's rivals may put in a claim just to keep him from rejoining the team.
There is a lot working against a Krejci return at the moment, but it sounds like the Bruins are remaining a little hopeful for a reunion on the ice sometime in the future.