Fraser Minten and Marco Sturm just got Boston's clearest public message yet: the Bruins know they still do not have a true No. 1 center.

That is the line that matters most from Cam Neely. He said everyone in the room recognizes Boston does not have a real 1C, and that is a loud thing to say out in May.

It also tells you where this offseason starts. The Bruins can talk about depth, contracts, and internal growth, but the middle of the ice is still the biggest hole in the organization.

Neely did leave one door open. He said Minten and James Hagens both have that skillset, which is Boston's way of saying the answer might already be in the system, just not ready to own the job yet.

That is why this lands harder than Don Sweeney's update on the free agents. Boston can explore bringing players back, but that does not change the bigger roster truth Neely just put on the table.

Sweeney said he had conversations with Andrew Peeke's agent through most of the year. He also said the Bruins will now explore whether they can bring back Peeke, Viktor Arvidsson, or both.

That is useful business, not the main story. The main story is that Boston just admitted the spine of the lineup still needs a real answer.

Cam Neely's slip is raising questions about major development

The Bruins finished 45-27-10 and made the playoffs in Sturm's first season, which was a better year than many expected. It still ended with a first-round exit and a public reminder that the roster is short where it matters most.

Minten is interesting because Boston clearly sees upside there. He played 6 playoff games, and Neely's comment showed the club thinks his ceiling reaches higher than a safe middle-six role.

Hagens belongs in the same conversation. He also saw playoff action, and Boston is at least willing to say out loud that both young centers could grow into something bigger.

Still, Neely did not sound like a team ready to hand the job away on hope alone. When a president says the club wants to fix it this offseason or wait for growth, he is admitting both paths are on the table.

That makes the Peeke and Arvidsson decisions secondary. Peeke played 6 playoff games and Arvidsson chipped in 2 goals in 4, but Boston's real pressure is up the middle.

So this is where the Bruins stand. They can tidy the blue line, sort out a winger, and keep a few familiar pieces, but until they find a true 1C, Boston is still building around a vacancy everybody in the room can already see.