The Boston Bruins will be looking to turn last season’s disappointing campaign around in 2025-26. Their solid core, led by David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman, will be instrumental in giving the team a chance to get back into playoff contention.
But like all teams, the Bruins aren’t perfect. They have several shortcomings that require attention. While there may be a couple of spots open on defense and in the bottom six forward group, one major hurdle stands out: Scoring.
The Bruins won’t have any issues getting offense from Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. But beyond these two uber-talented snipers, the cupboard is a bit barren.
The club traded away several key players last season, who, honestly, weren’t offensive forwards. Justin Brazeau, Trent Frederic, and former captain Brad Marchand weren’t setting the world on fire at the time of their trades.
Yes, Marchand found another gear in the postseason. But it remains to be seen if he can sustain that momentum this season.
So, the biggest hurdle that could keep the Bruins from seriously contending for a playoff spot this season could be the lack of secondary scoring. Solving that issue may prove more challenging than expected. There isn’t much internal support to count on.
As a result, the Bruins will need to find external help to boost their scoring across the board.
Offseason Acquisitions Don’t Offer Bruins Much Offense
The Bruins dipped their toes in the offseason trade and free-agent markets. However, the acquisition, while useful in some key areas, lacks the sort of high-end scoring the club needs.
The biggest offensive threat comes from Viktor Arvidsson. He scored 15 goals in 67 games for the Edmonton Oilers last season. However, that wasn’t enough to meet the expectations Edmonton had for the 32-year-old Swede.
So, the Oilers sent him to the Bruins for a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Bruins hope that a change of scenery could be enough to help Arvidsson reach the 20-goal mark again.
Meanwhile, other additions like Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Michael Eyssimont won’t move the needle much offensively. They’ll be solid role players. But unless they can all chip in above their career averages, it’s tough to envisage the Bruins becoming an offensive powerhouse.
Boston Counting on Returning Players to Pick Up the Slack
The Bruins will be counting on returning players to pick up the offensive slack. Such players include Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, and Casey Mittelstadt. Interestingly, all three are centers. And all three haven’t lived up to the hype surrounding them.
Mittelstadt came over at last season’s trade deadline from Colorado and will be under pressure to perform. He’s already been the focus of trade rumors. So, he’ll need to step up.
Lindholm had a largely disappointing 2024-25 season, scoring 17 goals and 82 games. That’s not bad, but it wasn’t commensurate with his seven-year, $54.25 million deal. The hope is that Lindholm can bounce back and live up to that deal.
As for Zacha, he was better than most give him credit for. While he scored just 14 goals in 82 games, he wasn’t awful. Unfortunately, the season was disappointing for Zacha after scoring back-to-back 21-goal seasons.
Ultimately, the Bruins will need their veteran incumbents to step up this season. The club could otherwise face another long season.
Bruins Face this Major Hurdle to Success in 2025-26