Boston Bruins: Will David Krejci Get a New Contract by the Start of the Season?

Boston Bruins center David Krejci is one of the most underappreciated players in the NHL, and is arguably the most valuable Bruins forward.

Krejci was the center on Boston's first line this season alongside wingers Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, and tallied 13 goals and 49 assists during the regular season.

He took his game to another level in the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs with 23 points and 12 goals, both of which ranked first among all postseason participants.

Krejci is entering the final year of his contract this fall, and it would be wise for the Bruins to offer him an extension before next summer, when teams will surely have interest in the young playmaker.

Before last season, the Bruins extended the contracts of center Patrice Bergeron and captain Zdeno Chara while both were entering the final year of their deals so that this summer they wouldn't have to worry about retaining them.

A similar approach should be taken by general manager Peter Chiarelli this offseason with Krejci.

Entering the final season of his three-year, $11.25 million contract, Krejci has clearly shown he can be a number-one NHL center and is fully deserving of a raise.

Krejci's presence in the Bruins lineup during their 2011 Stanley Cup run was one of the primary reasons the franchise ended its 39-year title drought last season.

Two seasons ago, when Krejci was lost in the Eastern semifinals with an injury, the Bruins were never the same team and their offense was far worse. The end result was a massive playoff collapse and a summer filled with anger.

Last year, with Krejci in the lineup for the entire postseason run, the Bruins were a more consistent team and were always a threat to score 3-6 goals.

Krejci is the all-around type of forward the Bruins have stocked their roster with and his game has improved dramatically since his arrival in Boston.

Not only can he score and pass extremely well, Krejci runs the offense smoothly. He always knows where the next pass is going and exactly the right time to deliver it.

Like his teammate Patrice Bergeron, Krejci is also a solid two-way player and is far from a defensive liability.

With Krejci establishing himself as the number one center in Boston, in place of the injured Marc Savard, the Bruins have a young player to build the first line around for years to come.

Extending him to a contract of about four years and $4 or $4.5 million per season is fair to him and reasonable enough for the Bruins.

His play doesn't wow you and he doesn't fill out the stat sheet like other stars, but David Krejci's importance to the Boston Bruins cannot be understated, and those are the guys you want to keep around.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report, and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for NHL news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35