The 2025-26 season has come to an end for the Boston Bruins and with it a look back at what the team was able to accomplish and where they came up short. Expectations were low coming into the year as the Bruins finished 27th overall in 2025. After trading core veteran players like Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline, the Bruins were starting a roster retool. Along with first time head coach Marco Sturm, the current season offered a new beginning for the franchise. Taking a look at the season that was and what the Bruins must do to try and regain their elite status in the National Hockey League.
Overachievement
Let’s be clear; the Bruins overachieved this season by securing a wild card spot and accumulating 100pts. Nobody saw that coming, not even Sturm. While adding grit and size in the offseason, Don Sweeney and Cam Neely vowed that this Bruins team would be a tougher out. Indeed, they were. What came with that, however, was a team that struggled to score and often showed their size in the form of plodding. The Bruins were the slowest of the 16 teams in this season’s playoff tournament, and it showed versus the up-tempo Sabres. In fact, without Jeremy Swayman’s heroics and David Pastrnak’s game 5 overtime winner, Boston could have very easily been swept in the opening round. Speaking at the management teams’ end of season press conference last week, the Bruins brass was not shy in their assessment.
“We got bounced in the first round. So yeah, we need more talent. We need more speed,” Neely said. “That’s something we have to try and acquire in one way, shape or form. You look at the elite teams in the league, we’re not there. Like I said two years ago when we stripped it down like we did, you’re not going to be there in one season. It’s going to take some time. What we accomplished this year, give the guys credit. But it’s early on. It’s building blocks. We’ve got work to do to build this club still.”
Big ask, but the Bruins need reinforcements with teams like Florida and Detroit hungry to make the playoffs next season. The Bruins will not be able to win simply by being a “tough out”.
“We’ve got to start from scratch. We’ve got to build something again what we started this season and go from there,” said coach Marco Sturm. “Because I see a lot of teams who are not in the playoffs this year that will be back in the picture. We just can’t rest in this league. That’s going to be a challenge. Expectations are going to be higher. We’re not going to be a surprise team anymore.”
Forwards
The Bruins are in need of a #1 Centre, and his name isn’t Elias Lindholm. After two seasons in Boston, Lindholm has struggled to stay healthy and therefore, productive. A swing and a miss after the retirement of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to say the least. Lindholm has five years left on his contract. The 31-year-old would serve the Bruins best as a third-line center and power-play specialist in the bumper position. There is nothing the Bruins can do about the inefficiency of a third liner earning $7.75 million annually, other than cross their fingers that his back does not flare up for a third straight season.
“He wants to get back to the level he believes he’s capable of and we believe he’s capable of,” Sweeney said. “Injuries are not the player’s fault. It’s a matter of what you can do as a result of training to counteract that. He’s willing to put that work in.”
Added Neely; “We all, in this room, recognize we don’t have a true No. 1 C. That’s something we want to try to rectify, whether it’s this offseason or those guys growing into it. But it’s something we know that’s needed.” Feels like a tall order for Boston with a nonexistent center market via Free Agency and trade prices likely beyond the Bruins reach. With James Hagens and Fraser Minton on the way, it’s likely the Bruins will have to be patient rather than aggressive when it comes to obtaining a franchise centerman.
Boston got good seasons from Marat Khusnutdinov, Minton, Pavel Zacha and the very streaky Morgan Geekie. Casey Mittelstadt also surprised in his first full season in Boston after being moved to the wing. In fact, his line alongside Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson were Boston’s best. Tanner Jeanott, Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly gave the Bruins a solid fourth line. Kastelic scored a career high 12 goals and could be a candidate for more ice time next year.
Defense
Franchise defenseman Charlie McAvoy had an eventful year. In November he broke his jaw on a Saturday night in Montreal leading to games missed on the shelf. Around the same time, he and his family dealt with a private matter involving his child’s health. In the winter he won gold with team USA at the Olympics only to return to Boston and struggle in the first round versus Buffalo. He ended that series, and his season, by slashing Sabres forward Zach Benson to the tune of a 6-game suspension. He will therefore miss Bostons first six games in October. Up and down to say the least. McAvoy can’t do it all, and the Bruins need to compliment him with a sturdy right show defenseman for him to excel. Easier said than done. With the Maple Leaf’s winning the draft lottery and effectively ruining the B’s opportunity to draft a top ten defenseman in June, Sweeney will have to get creative on the trade front if he is able to accommodate such a request.
“Just really proud of the group,” McAvoy said. “Everybody poured everything they had into this season. I think we surprised a lot of people. For what our expectations were, it’s not really a consolation prize to be standing here after losing in the first round. As we get a little further away from it, we’ll be able to look back on how special this year really was.”
The priority should be defensive upgrades. Only five teams were worse, according to Clear Sight Analytics, in allowing expected goals in the defensive zone per 60 minutes of five-on-five play in the regular season. Jeremy Swayman is one of three Vezina Trophy finalists, partly because of the delta he helped the Bruins post between expected and actual goals against. Hampus Lindholm has not been the same player since his broken kneecap injury in 2024. Jonathan Aspirot had a coming out party but is best served as a 6th defenseman. Nikita Zadorov had a better year than he did in his first as a Bruin but still struggled with taking too many penalties. This Bruins team did not have a good enough penalty kill to allow such numbers. He will have to adjust his game to be more effective. Mason Lohrei was a potential trade chip throughout the season, and my guess is Sweeney continues to explore that this summer. Having been a healthy scratch in the final three games of the playoffs, it would appear that Marco Sturm prefers Lohrei out of the lineup rather than in it. Henri Jokiharju and Jordan Harris were also in and out of the lineup for the bulk of the season. Upgrades are needed on the blueline.
Goaltending
As mentioned, Jeremy Swayman is a Vezina trophy finalist for the first time in his career. The Bruins can thank him and, to a lesser but still valid extent, Joonas Korpisalo for covering up much of the team’s deficiencies. Boston gave up the highest danger chances in the NHL this season and without the stout goaltending they benefited from, the playoffs would have been a pipe dream.
“I think we made some really good strides this year for what we’re building – and that’s to make noise in the playoffs,” Swayman said. “I think it will be a good summer. Hopefully, guys are going to come back ready to go, and I think we all have confidence that will be the case.”
With Michael Dipietro waiting for his NHL shot, it will be interesting to see if Korpisalo is back next season.
Coaching
Marco Sturm brought the Bruins back to the playoffs in the first season of what is going to be a multiyear rebuild in Boston. He deserves a lot of credit as a first year NHL coach as he was able to see a team wide buy in by his squad. It’s clear he has the Bruins rediscovering their identity, and that had to be his top priority this season. What comes next will be the bigger challenge.
Steve Spott improved the Bruins’ powerplay dramatically. A very successful start for him as well with more work to do.
THE LOOKAHEAD
Next up will be my look at the Bruins offseason. Starting with the draft in June where the Bruins will officially have the 23rd OV pick. Thanks for reading!
G-Rant @TheRealG_Rant/Grant Cumming. Bruins fan. Bigger dreams, bigger screens, bigger feelings are planned.
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