B's Wrap 2021-22 Campaign with End-of-Season Media Availabilities

BOSTON - The Bruins gathered at Warrior Ice Arena on Monday to put a bow on the 2021-22 season with exit interviews with the coaching staff, medical team, team management, and the media before they begin to disperse across the globe to begin their summers.
Here are some of the headlines from the B's end-of-season media availabilities with reporters:

Signing Back On

Jakub Zboril was signed to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.1375 million on Monday morning. The blue liner's 2021-22 campaign was cut short after just 10 games when he suffered a torn ACL on Dec. 2 in Nashville.
"I am [excited], especially after getting injured and seeing that the team still believes in me. That's a huge deal for me," said Zboril, who has been back skating for four weeks and credited B's trainer Scott Waugh for his work throughout the rehab process.
"It feels pretty good. It's a little achy sometimes when I try to do some power skating, some edge work, but if I get loose and just go, I don't really think about it, and it feels pretty nice."
Zboril said initially he did not realize the severity of the injury and did not find out the season-ending diagnosis until days later when he received the results of an MRI.
"I did not know, actually. I got hurt. From the video it looked like nothing, I went to the locker room in so much pain," said Zboril. "They checked my ligaments and my knee, and everyone thought it was OK. Then I had the MRI and the next day I got a call that my season was done. It was pretty bad news.
"I was just walking with my girlfriend in the Prudential Center when I got the call. I just had to sit down, I almost started to cry. I was like, what just happened? I was limping a little bit, so I thought maybe it was just a bad bone bruise or something like that. Then I got the call."
The 25-year-old was just beginning to come into his own and solidifying a regular role within Boston's six-pack of defenseman when he went down against the Predators.
"I feel like I did a pretty good job this year," said Zboril. "I showed up with lots of confidence in my game and then I just got injured which was a slap in the face. Hopefully I'm just going to pick up where I left off from for next year. It's going to be good."
"When you get hurt, you really start to appreciate the little things like the social interactions in the locker room, and I missed out on so many this year. I just can't wait to come back and be part of the team on a full-time basis. Just so excited."

A Full Plate

David Pastrnak said that he battled through a "muscle injury" over the final six weeks of the regular season. The winger tore cartilage during the B's visit to Winnipeg on March 18 and played through it for three weeks before re-aggravating it on April 4 in Columbus. Pastrnak went on to miss 10 of Boston's final 13 games with the injury.
"It's all right, to be honest," said Pastrnak. "It's been tough at the end and through the Game 4, but I got healthy. I feel all right now…it just kept tweaking the whole three weeks, every day pretty much until the Columbus game that I kind of tore the cartilage or something. It was no fun, but I'm feeling all right actually. At the end of the playoff series, it was fine."
Pastrnak said he will not require surgery during the offseason.
"No, it's pretty much just going to be a while, from what I understand," said Pastrnak. "It's probably, maybe the whole summer, then should be fine for next year."
When asked if he had given any thought to a new contract given that his current six-year deal ($6.67M AAV) expires after next season, Pastrnak said, "I actually haven't given it a thought yet to be honest. I've got a lot of other stuff to be worrying about the whole year, so haven't been thinking about that at all, actually."
The 25-year-old, who finished his eighth NHL season with 40 goals, added that it was an honor to be part of a rotation with Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo in wearing the B's second 'A' as alternate captain throughout the year.
"There's been some great leaders wearing those before me," said Pastrnak. "It's obviously a huge honor. This organization has a lot of history, and it's a pleasure for me and I'm very humble about being here. They've helped me as a person a lot and as a hockey player.
"I'm getting older, I've been learning from one of the best for a lot of years. Obviously, what Bergy does for us is insane. It's very hard to describe. Everybody wants to be like him. I'm very humble that I can learn from the best."

Playing Through Pain

Matt Grzelcyk revealed that he played through a dislocated right shoulder suffered in the B's home game against Winnipeg on January 22. The defenseman will require surgery next week and said he "probably will miss some of the start of the [2022-23] season."
Grzelcyk missed several games down the stretch as he managed the injury and ultimately sat out the final two games against Carolina in part due to the effects of the injury on his play.
"It was quite difficult. Not feeling like myself obviously," said Grzelcyk. "Pain-wise, it would keep popping in and out. That's why I would have to miss a game or two and wait for it to calm down. Unfortunately, I have to get surgery, but looking forward to getting healthy again and start feeling like myself again.
"Played with it for 50 games or so, so obviously it really limited what I was able to do out there and just getting through practice somedays was pretty tough. Definitely worth it, and would make that decision again to try and gut it out and play for the team."
The Charlestown native said the physicality and intensity of the postseason made the injury even more difficult to play through.
"Just having that in the back of your mind…playoffs are physical in general but having to deal with that is hard, obviously. Pretty challenging.," said Grzelcyk. "[The Hurricanes] do a really good job on the forecheck as well and kind of hem you in there a little bit.
"I feel like because I had pain in the shoulder, it was tough to get my feet moving and play like I feel like I'm capable of playing and make some dynamic plays out there. Like I said, just looking forward to getting healthy again."
Grzelcyk said he had surgery on his other shoulder during his years at Boston University but will undergo a different procedure this time around to speed up his recovery.
"I think I'm having a different procedure done this time. It might be a little bit of a quicker recovery," said Grzelcyk. "I know what to expect, at least, this time and kind of know how that process works. Unfortunately, I'll have to do it again but at least I can use that experience to my advantage."

On the Injury Front

Brad Marchand said "I hurt my AC joint" on a collision with Washington's Garnet Hathaway on January 20 at TD Garden and was originally expected to miss a couple of weeks, but ultimately did not sit out any games.
"We were able to manage it so I didn't miss a game," said Marchand. "I was actually really happy with it at that time because I had expected to be out for a little while. So yeah, I hurt my shoulder there. But that's it."
Marchand added that he may need a procedure done "this summer or next summer" though he did not specify for what injury.
"Potentially, yeah," Marchand said when asked if he'll need any offseason surgeries. "But we'll kind of take a look at that. I haven't talked to the doctors yet. So, we'll go through that today and kind of decide what we're going to do."

Hampus Lindholm missed nine of the final 13 games as he dealt with a lower-body injury, which he revealed to be a knee, suffered in Detroit on April 5. The blue liner said he will continue to rehab throughout the offseason.
"I'll see, I'll talk to the [medical] staff here today," said Lindholm, who played just seven games with Boston before the injury. "I'm thinking maybe get some PRP or something just to boost the healing. That will re-settle and rehab it to make sure it's all good and strong for next year…it's tough. coming in I felt great and then that's hockey. It's unfortunate, but that's just the way it goes sometimes."
Lindholm added that he "assumed it was a concussion" after going into protocol following a heavy hit from Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov in Game 2. He missed three games before returning for Game 6.
"Luckily it took kind of good and I could get back pretty quick there," said Lindholm. "You have to go through the whole protocol thing which I think is a really good thing we have. Unfortunately missed a few games there, but I think it was nice to at least come back and try to have a little bit of an impact on the series. It feels really sad standing here right now if I'm being honest with you."
Charlie McAvoy had his front teeth chipped on a high stick in Game 1 against Carolina but said he won't be trying to pull off the Pastrnak for much longer. "I'm getting these fixed as soon as I can," he quipped.
Derek Forbort, who blocked a team-leading 18 shots in seven games during the playoffs, said he is suffering from no ill effects. "I'm fine," he said. "A lot of good equipment."

Heading Home

After a stellar second half and his second career 25-goal season, Jake DeBrusk is excited to head home to Edmonton and spend some time with his family. It is there where he will contemplate whether or not his trade request, which became public last November, still stands heading into the offseason.
"I haven't thought about it to be honest with you," said DeBrusk. "It's been nice not thinking about it there since the [trade] deadline. Been spending a lot of time with the boys here these past two days. I'll go home and talk it through with my family and go over the year more thoroughly. Kind of distracted on that, I haven't thought about it."
DeBrusk signed a two-year extension with an average annual value of $4 million on the morning of the deadline.
"I wouldn't have signed something if I wasn't OK with that," said DeBrusk. "It was a crazy circumstance around that time especially. I was excited to sign that, I think that's when my game took off as well. Like I said, I haven't had to answer these questions for a while so I think that's when my game turned around."
The winger embraced his role alongside Patrice Bergeron and Marchand on Boston's top line, a spot he occupied for much of the stretch run after being placed there by Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy to start the B's lengthy West Coast road trip in late February.
"It doesn't have any bearing on my decision, no," DeBrusk said of his top-six role. "I think it's one of the things where I was just happy to play there. It was something listed about me that I couldn't play on the right side or couldn't play on the off side, so it was nice to play there and find my game there.
"In the series [against Carolina], I bounced around a couple different lines as well. I just want to be a versatile player. Any way I can help the team is usually the way I can do it. But it was nice to have success there. Obviously, a test for myself and obviously with Bergy and Marchy I did all right there."

Feeling is Mutual

In addition to Bergeron, the Bruins will have three other unrestricted free agents this summer: Anton Blidh, Josh Brown, and Curtis Lazar. The latter solidified himself as a dependable piece of the fourth line over the past two seasons since his arrival from Buffalo with Taylor Hall at the 2021 trade deadline.
Lazar, who set a career high with eight goals this season, said that after talking with Bruins general manager Don Sweeney on Monday, he believes there is mutual interest for a return to the Black & Gold next season.
"Just got out of my meeting with Sweens, I think there is interest in both sides," said Lazar. "I love playing here. I love being a Boston Bruin. The city, the fans, the organization, they have all been great to myself and my family, and I want to be back here. But again, there's other parts. There's the business side. I mean, we will see what happens. Sweens said he will be upfront and honest with it, and our people will be in touch. So, we will see what happens."

A Comeback Story

After spending the vast majority of the 2021-22 campaign with Providence, Chris Wagner was recalled to Boston for the regular-season finale in Toronto, during which he delivered a game-high 11 hits in roughly 15 minutes of ice time. The performance earned him a spot on the B's postseason roster and, ultimately, three playoff games during Boston's opening-round series against Carolina.
"Yeah, I mean, it was challenging," said Wagner, who tallied 15 goals and 27 points in 62 games with the P-Bruins. "But, it was kind of a problem I solved. I made it back with a one-game audition and got to play some playoff games. Definitely a learning experience, too, but overall, I am happy I made it back to the roster.
"I had a lot of help too, between the coaching staff down there, and my family, and my wife, and everything. I had a great support system. I haven't been in the AHL in a while [since 2016-17], so kind of shock at first. But yeah, to come back and play one game, and make that much of an impression, and to get in the lineup in the playoffs is something I am proud of."
Wagner said that with some inspiration from Bergeron, he was able to take on a leadership role of his own during his time with Providence.
"Yeah, kind of like a player development guy who's playing, [Slapshot character] Reggie Dunlop or something," Wagner joked. "Once I was present down there, kind of embraced the role, it was fun being in the locker room. Being the old guy, I probably felt like Bergy a little bit. It's rewarding seeing guys do well. I try to text everyone who is coming up, and kind of give them pointers on things to do. Yeah, that part was cool."

Food For Thought

The line of the day went to Forbort. While expressing his own affection for Boston and the North End, in particular, the blue liner said his dog, Darla, was just as big of a fan of the city.
"I love it. My dog loves it. Living right in the North End, it's a pretty special neighborhood. The people are awesome. I love the city for sure," said Forbort. "[Darla] likes all the food on the ground. It's like buffet-style for her."