The Boston Bruins are coming off a heartbreaking season. The team finished last in the Atlantic Division with 76 points, 33 wins, and 39 losses in 82 games. The Bruins, once famed, have six Stanley Cup championships. But with the disaster that was last season, do the Bruins stand a chance at salvaging themselves?
The team’s management made the debatable decision to trade Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline. Marchand fit right in and aided the Panthers in securing their second consecutive Cup in 2025. The veteran forward, who had expressed his desire to continue with the Florida outfit, was re-signed by the Panthers this offseason.
The past season has shaken even some of the most devoted fans to their core. But what could realistically lie ahead for the team?
What Could the Next Season Look Like for the Boston Bruins?
The Athletic’s James Mirtle helped a fan manage expectations in his recent mailbag. The fan has scant faith in the team’s offseason upgrades.
“Why do people think the Bruins have a shot at being good? As a fan, I would love it, but to see their ‘upgrades’ in the offseason I think we’re relying on the top line to score us goals and nothing else,” the fan asked.
The Bruins fan expressed their resentment and made an alarming claim: the Bruins are even worse than last year.
“Especially with all these so-called tough guys who are going to make them tough to play against. That won’t matter if we don’t score any goals. I just don’t understand it honestly and some national writers are believing they’ll bounce back. They are a worse team than last year all over,” the fan said.
The #NHLBruins have acquired a conditional 2027 second-round pick from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Brad Marchand.
📰: https://t.co/wT9rTOkImf pic.twitter.com/3QPmE7fWY0
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 7, 2025
Mirtle, however, believes it is improbable that the Boston outfit will be worse this year because, to begin with, they were already incredibly poor last year.
“Boston cratered so hard at the end of the year that they finished with the NHL’s fourth-worst record, better than only Nashville, Chicago and San Jose,” Mirtle said.
The team overall was in bad shape. The Bruins lost 21 of their final 27 games. The team also struck trades surrounding Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, and Brandon Carlo. The rest of the team was plagued with other issues that evidently, took a toll on their performance.
“Hampus Lindholm missed nearly the entire year, Charlie McAvoy was hurt and Jeremy Swayman was a shell of himself after that contract dispute ran long,” Mirtle said.
Mirtle believes it is unlikely for the Bruins to be so profoundly unlucky twice in a row. Even though the team had little to offer last season, it still has potential.
“They’re definitely thinner up front, where it’s going to take some surprises from their young players to keep them competitive,” Mirtle said. “But I could still see them in competition for a wild-card spot, given the talent they still have.”
However, Mirtle observed that while several teams recover from a poor run, not all remain in contention for the Cup. They are stuck remaining simply “okay,” and perhaps that is where the Bruins are headed.
“Most of those clubs feel likely to get stuck being just okay and not really competing for a Cup,” Mirtle said. “Boston feels like they’re about to be part of that trend, especially given how they spent their limited free agent dollars last month.”
Perhaps the upcoming season is when the Bruins redeem themselves. After all, it was not long ago that they lifted the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023 with 135 points.
