Boston Bruins Player With Most at Stake: Mark Recchi

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The Boston Bruins acquired Mark Recchi on March 4, 2009, from the Tampa Bay Lightning for expendable defender Matt Lashoff.

Recchi immediately began paying dividends for the Bruins, scoring 10 goals and tallying six assists for 16 points in 18 games.

However, this season Recchi is 41. He's likely going to retire after this season. The younger guys on the team likely look up to Recchi because of his experience.

Mark Recchi has a lot riding on 2009-2010. He probably wants to leave the NHL on the top, so he'll try his hardest to get a ring in his last season.

But Recchi is under a lot of pressure.

With Phil Kessel leaving the Bruins for 'greener' pastures in Toronto, someone needs to step in. Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder could be the players to fill the Kessel-void as a duo.

But they'll look to Recchi for guidance. Something that he's used to, yes, but his production should decrease this year.

He's 41-years-old. Recchi has everything at stake for this season, leaving on a high note or leaving after a playoff loss.

Recchi should be decent this year, on the second or third line, but he will be far from the elite of the NHL, or the even among the best players on the Bruins.

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