The Boston Bruins are coming off of a respectable season in which the team found themselves back in the playoffs after a disastrous 2024-2025 campaign that saw the club finish at the bottom of the eastern conference. Boston posted a 45-27-10 record this past season, which was good enough for 100 points and a ticket to the postseason. The Bruins lost in round one at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.
The team hopes to remain in the mix as contenders for the 2026-2027 season. The question is has the Original 6 team done enough this offseason to remain competitive? There is skepticism regarding whether this team will perform as well next year.
Bruins Predicted to Miss Playoffs Next Season
The Daily Faceoff looked at three teams that made the playoffs in 2026 that may not make it next season. The Bruins were listed among those teams by analyst Matt Larkin.
The logic behind this decision was that the Bruins overperformed last year, according to various analytical metrics. The team was largely propped up by the efforts of star players David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman. Between Pastrnak on offense, Swayman in net and Charlie McAvoy on defense, the Bruins have elite pillars in each position. However, the depth supporting this cast is questionable.
The summer has been relatively quiet in Boston from general manager Don Sweeney. This is especially the case compared to many rival teams in the east that have loaded up, such as their Atlantic division counterparts the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The biggest move by Boston has been bringing in forward John Peterka from the Utah Mammoth. The hope is that Peterka will add some much needed support for Pastrnak on that forward core. Peterka struggled with Utah; the team hopes a change of scenery will work wonders for him and he can get back to the form he showed with Buffalo.
The team also brought in a couple depth additions to their blueline with Will Borgen and Connor Clifton. The thought process is that these two veterans will help shore up a d-core that lacks gumption behind McAvoy.
Boston Needs to Remain in Contention
It would be a disappointing outcome if this Bruins team were to come back down to earth next season. Sweeney wants to keep this team competitive while Pastrnak is in his prime years.
The thought last year was that Boston may need to enter a rebuild after a bottom-feeder season. The surprise performance last season was encouraging and showed there could still be a winning team with this group led by Pastrnak.
For Boston to return in the postseason next year, they will need Pastrnak to keep up his elite production. However, success can not be solely relied on his efforts. They need secondary producers to step up and contribute. What kind of impact can Peterka have on this squad. What can top prospect James Hagens do in his rookie season? This team will need X-factors to step in and keep them in the mix in what projects to be a tougher eastern conference picture compared to last year.
Bruins Receive Disappointing 2026-2027 Season Projection