(Photo Credit: Boston Globe)

By: Andrew Taverna | Follow me on Twitter @andrewtaverna

Following the disappointing end to bubble hockey, the Boston Bruins have announced three plays had surgeries performed during the month of September. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy each underwent procedures this offseason. Marchand and Pastrnak will require some additional recovery time, which creates questions about their availability for the start of next season.

Charlie McAvoy

On September 8th, Charlie McAvoy underwent a right knee arthroscopy. The surgery was performed by Dr. Peter Asnis of Massachusetts General Hospital, who has already cleared McAvoy to return to normal participation of offseason activities. It is anticipated that McAvoy will be fully available for the start of next season.

Brad Marchand

On September 14th, Brad Marchand underwent a sports hernia repair. Dr. Brian Busconi and Dr. Demetrius Litwin at Umass Memorial Medical Center performed the successful procedure and have given Marchand a four-month timetable for a possible return. According to the Boston Bruins, his rehabilitation is going well and is on track. Even with an on-track rehabilitation, however, it is likely that Marchand will miss the start of next season. A four-month recovery would place his approximate time of return in the middle of January, making it likely he would miss at least pre-season if not the first week or two of the regular season.

David Pastrnak

On September 16th, David Pastrnak underwent a right hip arthroscopy and labral repair. Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York performed the procedure and has suggested that the total recovery time will be approximately five months. According to the Bruins, rehabilitation has been doing well and is on track to fully recover. With this timeline, Pastrnak would not be targeting a return until mid-February, which means he could miss a considerable number of games this upcoming season.

What’s Next For The Bruins

With the current offseason currently in full swing and the Bruins having several roster spots available, these injuries have added a layer of complexity. Assuming the Bruins assemble the roster based on the players available today and McAvoy is available for the start of the season, the most likely scenario is you see several young players get a chance to make a significant impact in the lineup and a reshuffled top-line. So who could potentially replace the dynamic duo on the top line?

That’s right, folks, one of the most likely scenarios we could see would be a top unit of Bjork-Bergeron-Kase. While Matt classifies this as an unlikely scenario, it is worth noting that this becomes closer to reality as free agency ticks on. This would certainly be a very different top line than the Bruins are used to rolling out.

The loss of Marchand and Pastrnak to start the season is a massive blow to an organization that’s currently in flux. If Sweeney and team plan on making any moves, this might significantly change their ability to use folks as trade chips. Also, the point production coming from that top-line is irreplaceable and will be felt on a team that has already struggled with even-strength scoring and just lost Torey Krug. It’s gearing up to be an interesting off-season and an even more interesting start to the regular season.