I don't get this "it depends on Bergeron" narrative that's gone on all year.
Bergeron is one player, one who Pasta only plays with on the PP most nights. You take away that one player, and while it hurts this is still a great team. People talk about "who's he gonna play with??"... We still have two of the best playmaking LWs in the game in Marchand and Hall that can dish him the puck. Plus some of the best defense and goaltending locked in for the long term.
As much as the rest of the league would love it to be true, Bergeron retiring doesn't instantly make this team a lottery candidate.
And we're also talking about an 8 year extension. Bergeron coming back for one more year still leaves 7 years of uncertainty. I don't know why Pasta would care so much about that one year.
If he were my son, I'd say take the $88 million from the team that you've won a lot of games with and run. Or go ask Gaudreau how much fun he's having after leaving a good team to test the market lol.
I would assume Pasta wants to win a Cup. God I hope this is the year.
If not, and Bergeron and Krejci leave (two players - both centers), then that goal is that much more difficult to achieve.
And you seem to think only shitty teams will move heaven and earth to find the money to sign Pasta - and pay him the same $88M plus you reference and possibly more. Hell, Carolina has space, you think they wouldn’t snap at the chance???? Face facts, he is going to get paid and have a chance to play on a good team NO MATTER WHAT.
I’m not saying it will happen. I hope not. But your analysis of what might drive Pasta is ignoring some things.
Players of Pasta’s caliber and age come on the free market very rarely. World is in his hands. Money, Cup chances, weather, taxes, friends, whatever is most important to him. To think otherwise is naive, IMO.
So…………Fingers crossed.