BOSTON — The Boston Bruins’ motto this season might as well be: “Win one for Patrice.”

For the second straight year, the Bruins are heading into the season thinking it could be the last for captain Patrice Bergeron. Last year, he waited until the summer to decide to come back for another run; no one’s making any long-term plans this year, either.

“This is a real opportunity for our players to have a year with Patrice on the ice, our younger players, in particular, to learn from him and to be a teammate,” team CEO Charlie Jacobs said at the team’s media day on Monday. “He’s teaching our next generation of Boston Bruins players how to be Bruins, and that’s invaluable.”

A five-time Selke Award winner as the best two-way forward in the NHL, Bergeron led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship and two other trips to the finals in an 18-year career that will eventually end with his No. 37 in the TD Garden rafters. Although he scored 25 goals with 40 assists last season, at 37 years old he is certainly nearing the end.

But before he gets there, the Bruins want to add to his trophy case. With David Krejci returning from Czechia, the team has the feel of a band getting back together.

“I think this group in the locker room feels like something special can happen this year,” Bruins President Cam Neely said. “I think their teammates look at this and say this might be the last year we have the ability to play with these guys, so let’s take as much advantage as we can. That’s the feeling I get inside the locker room.”

The Bruins won 51 games last season – topping 100 points for the fourth time in four non-pandemic seasons. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs, and coach Bruce Cassidy was fired and replaced with Jim Montgomery.

The new coach has been impressed by Bergeron’s sway over the locker room, and how the future Hall of Famer always thinks of the team first.

For his part, Bergeron seemed uncomfortable serving as a rallying cry.

“I’ve always preached to do everything together, as a team. It’s always a ‘we’ and not an ‘I.’ Obviously, nothing changes,” he said. “There’s a (chance) to come out and show what we’re all about as a team and create something together. So that’s, that’s what I’m really focused on.

But his teammates are thinking about him.

“I’m really trying not to look at it as pressure. Like, as if this is the end,” defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “But I try to echo this message to a lot of guys: just don’t blink. You want to enjoy every single second with them. You don’t know what the future holds for him or Krejci. Soak in every second, on the ice and off the ice.”

PASTRNAK CONTRACT

There has been no new contract extension for David Pastrnak just yet, but all sides are keeping a don’t-worry-be-happy stance with regard to the ongoing negotiations possibly spilling into the regular season that begins on Wednesday.

“Both sides have been open about continuing our talks, so I don’t think things change at all unless David takes a different position,” said GM Don Sweeney. “But up to this point, we’ve been communicating regularly and when he feels comfortable, hopefully we’ll finalize a deal. But there’s no timeline on that. We communicate almost every day and we’ll see if we can find the finish line.”

Pastrnak again expressed confidence that something will get done.

“I know they’re talking every day. They’re trying to get something done. It’s good that they are in touch. Confident it will get done,” said Pastrnak, who said he’s left the contract work up to his agent, J.P. Barry.

Any deal that Pastrnak signs will surely be a mammoth deal for the eight-year max that would most likely make him the Bruins first player player to eclipse $10 million a year.

HALL READY TO GO

Taylor Hall was a full participant in Monday’s practice and declared himself fit for duty for Wednesday’s opener in Washington. While much of the preseason speculation had him skating with Krejci and Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha has at least temporarily taken over that spot, creating an all-Czech line. Hall for the time being is skating with Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk.

“I think Bergy’s so easy to play with,” said Hall. “I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with Jake but no better time than the start of the year, first game of the season to just go out and play and play instinctively and play to your strengths. That’s the best I can do, is to play with JD and use his speed and my speed to attack on the wings and hopefully get pucks to the net and use our speed to get pucks back in the offensive zone as well.”

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