The Boston Bruins head into 2026-27 with one big question hanging over them: can they get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight year?
That was never supposed to be the story last season, when they shocked the league by finishing with 100 points and grabbing the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. But the surprise run ended quickly, with the Buffalo Sabres - the Atlantic Division winner - knocking them out in the first round.
Boston did make some offseason changes, but the roster shuffle leaves plenty of uncertainty. Viktor Arvidsson left in free agency, Joonas Korpisalo was dealt away, and JJ Peterka and Will Borgen arrived via trade.
The Bruins also brought back defenseman Connor Clifton. The question now is whether those moves are enough to keep them in the mix.
Anthony Trudeau of the Daily Faceoff doesn’t sound convinced Boston has done enough to stay near the top of the Atlantic Division race. He pointed to the changes as upgrades, but only slight ones.
"Swapping Arvidsson, a very good player in his own right, out for Peterka, replacing Korpisalo with DiPietro, and letting Peeke walk while trading for Borgen should be enough to make the Bruins a better team, if only just. The gulf between Boston’s performance and its results last season, though, means they’d have to become much better to hold serve as the fourth-placed team in the lions’ den that is the Atlantic Division,'' wrote Trudeau.
That’s where the problem gets real for Boston. The division looks tougher, and so does the conference.
The Florida Panthers, who missed the postseason last year, are expected to be back after a busy offseason. The Sabres should be strong again, and the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning are also part of a deeper Atlantic.
Trudeau also noted that the Metropolitan Division teams should be improved, with the Washington Capitals among the clubs making major additions for what could be Alex Ovechkin’s final season.
For the Bruins, that means last year’s path may not be there anymore. Trudeau put it bluntly when he wrote:
"The Florida Panthers stunk last year, remember, and since that will never happen again, one of the Atlantic’s five playoff berths, an unstable luxury in and of itself, is as good as gone. Swayman, McAvoy, and Pastrnak are talented enough to keep the Black and Gold in the mushy middle, at least. Whether the Bruins finish sixth or as low as last in their division could depend on how much Sweeney thinks a mid-year transition to tanking will affect his job security,'' added Trudeau.
That last point brought general manager Don Sweeney into the conversation. His future, as Trudeau framed it, could depend on how the season goes.
Some view him as safe regardless; others do not. Either way, the Bruins appear to be entering a season where the margin for error is thin, and the rest of the division may have moved ahead while Boston mostly held its ground.
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There is also the possibility that the picture changes before camp even gets moving. Trade talk around Lohrei has not gone away, and general manager Don Sweeney still has time to adjust the defense corps before the season opener, which means Lohrei is not only competing with the players in the room but with whatever roster decisions come next. For a young defenseman trying to turn frustration into momentum, that is as real a camp pressure point as it gets. [Read more 🡒]