Bruins' Patrice Bergeron Has Surgery on Elbow Injury; Undecided on Retirement

Boston Bruins star Patrice Bergeron underwent elbow surgery Tuesday.

Bergeron, fresh off winning the Selke Trophy for the fifth time, acknowledged the procedure will force him to think long and hard about his status for the 2022-23 NHL season.

"What [the surgery] did only is it just delayed my decision-making process," he told reporters. "I had some MRIs and meetings with them and talks with them about what I should do and whatnot. That's the only thing I can say about that."

The 36-year-old is due to hit free agency after his eight-year, $55 million contract expired with the end of this season.

Bergeron's Selke win is an illustration of how he continues to play at a reasonably high level given his age. He finished with 25 goals and 40 assists in the regular season and recorded seven points in Boston's first-round exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Bergeron explained how his contract status is a driving force behind his general uncertainty, per the Associated Press' Stephen Whyno:

"My whole career I’ve had contract extensions or I’ve had long-term contracts. I would head into the summers I guess with that in the back of my mind, meaning that I know what I’m doing next year and all that stuff. And now I’m 36 and I don’t have a contract and I can actually take a step back for the first time in my career, the first time in my life that I can just reflect on what I do want looking forward for the future."

Should he signal a desire to continue skating next year, Bergeron should have little trouble either re-signing with the Bruins or finding a new home. A player with his experience and resume would be an obvious target for a contending team that wants a short-term solution for its forward line.