The Bruins are heading toward training camp with a roster that already looks different, and there’s still room for one more swing at offense.
Boston’s right side on defense has been reshaped, and up front the team is counting on a younger group to keep moving. The biggest change so far on the scoring side is the loss of Viktor Arvidsson in free agency and the arrival of JJ Peterka in a major trade. Beyond that, the Bruins are still banking on James Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov to take another step and give the lineup more pop.
That’s where a professional tryout agreement could come into play. Training camp is the ideal spot to make players prove it, and Boston could also use the chance to add some firepower without making a long commitment.
Two names stand out as obvious PTO targets: Patrik Laine and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Laine, 28, is the more eye-catching fit. He played only 5 games last season for the Montreal Canadiens, but he remains a perennial 20+ goalscorer and a dangerous power-play weapon. Put him on a unit with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak, and Boston would suddenly have a man advantage that can punish teams in a hurry.
Tarasenko brings a different kind of resume, but the appeal is just as clear. The 34-year-old and 2019 Stanley Cup Champion scored 23 goals and finished with 47 points in 75 games last season with the Minnesota Wild. His shot still plays, and he could slide into Boston’s top nine as another proven goalscorer.
A PTO would let the Bruins take a look at either player without locking themselves in right away. If it works, Boston could turn that into a one-year deal and add another legit scoring threat to the mix.
In Other News...
James Hagens Is Suddenly At Center Of A Bruins Camp Battle
James Hagens has already moved quickly from Boston College to the Bruins' orbit, and now his first full pro camp is shaping up as one of the more interesting rookie storylines on the roster. The 2025 first-round pick signed after his sophomore season and even got a taste of NHL action, including the playoffs, giving Boston a early look at how his game might translate when the pace rises and the margins shrink.
For a team looking for answers from its young talent, Hagens is suddenly in the middle of a camp battle that matters. He is among the top rookie prospects in the Atlantic Division heading into the season, and his push to earn a job has put him in the same conversation as other high-end newcomers around the division, even as the Bruins sort out who is ready for real NHL minutes and who still needs more runway. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Still Havent Forgotten Don Sweeneys Defining Coaching Decision
When the Bruins moved on from Bruce Cassidy after the 2022 offseason began, it was one of those front-office decisions that immediately felt bigger than a routine coaching change. Don Sweeney made the call as general manager, Cassidy landed in Vegas almost right away, and the Golden Knights would go on to win the Stanley Cup, turning the whole sequence into a painful reference point for Boston fans who still remember how sharply the split played out.
Sweeneys next hire, Jim Montgomery, looked like a home run for most of the regular season and helped push Boston to an NHL record for wins and points. But the season ended with a first-round playoff loss after the Bruins had taken a 3-1 lead, and Montgomery was fired not long after. For Bruins fans, the two coaching moves have become tangled together, a reminder that one bold decision led to immediate success elsewhere and the next only deepened the scrutiny back home. [Read more 🡒]