After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2015-16, the Boston Bruins rebounded from their setback in 2024-25 and fought their way back into the postseason amidst the heavily competitive Atlantic Division.
However, the Bruins were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal by the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres, who took them down in six games despite the efforts of forward David Pastrnak.
So far, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has acquired Ivan Ivan from the Colorado Avalanche in return for Fabian Lysell, along with acquiring J.J. Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round draft picks; he also acquired Will Borgen from the New York Rangers while re-signing Connor Clifton. He also traded goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick and forward prospect Kalle Vaisanen.
Despite these moves, the Bruins did lose 25 goals from their offensive attack, as Viktor Arvidsson departed via free agency to the divisional rival Detroit Red Wings.
Do The Boston Bruins Have Enough Ammunition To Make A Second Straight Trip To The Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Despite the moves by Sweeney, the Bruins have been listed as a club that could potentially miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs next spring.
According to Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff, the Bruins had far too many worrying underlying numbers that nearly caused them to miss the playoffs entirely.
“The Bruins were almost a non-playoff team masquerading as a playoff team this past season,” he wrote. “They had the 27th-best expected goal differential in the NHL at 5-on-5, and they allowed the seventh-most high-danger chances at 5-on-5, with the 24th-ranked penalty kill to boot. Two players willed them into the postseason: goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who had a dominant campaign, and 100-point scorer David Pastrnak. The good news is those two still wear the Spoked B.”
He continued by implying that the Bruins could be in a world of hurt if goaltender Jeremy Swayman falters:
“The bad news is that, despite landing left winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Will Borgen, GM Don Sweeney hasn’t improved his team sufficiently in an Eastern Conference that had some non-playoff teams make aggressive augmentations this summer,” he said. “So if Swayman in particular regresses to being above average or worse, Boston might slip by half a dozen points and end up fighting on the playoff bubble.”
Don Sweeney Implied More Moves Could Be Coming
The Bruins, who will be without defenseman Charlie McAvoy for the first six games of the upcoming season because of a suspension, are currently
“There easily could be,” Sweeney said of Boston potentially moving another defenseman. “Depending on where other teams sit and the conversations I’ve had, Charlie’s [McAvoy] not playing the first six games [due to suspension].
“You just never know between now and when we start, and injuries, we just, it was an area we told you guys that we’re going to address, and that’s exactly what we tried to do.”
Sweeney continued by saying that he believes his moves thus far have made the Bruins more balanced.
“I have some work to do, to continue to add to our club, and a little bit of that is based on what’s the internal growth, you know? … I think we’re back to being a competitive team with a little more balance to hopefully continue to attack the way I described earlier and be a threat,” Sweeney said.
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