Two Bruins names landed on CBS Sports’ latest fantasy hockey list, and the split between them tells you a lot about where Boston stands heading into the 84-game season.
David Pastrnak checked in at No. 6 on Corey Abbott’s top 100 fantasy players for the upcoming year, a placement that fits the way he’s viewed across the league. Morgan Geekie also made the cut, landing at No.
- Pastrnak should be one of the first names off fantasy boards, while Geekie looks more like a deeper pick, especially with the possibility of regression in 2026-27.
Fantasy drafts are getting close for the new season.
Elsewhere around the Bruins, James Hagens is still waiting to break into the Calder Trophy conversation. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe put together his preseason top five candidates and left Hagens out.
In alphabetical order, Dupont’s list included Anton Frondell of the Chicago Blackhawks, Cole Hutson of the Washington Capitals, Porter Martone of the Philadelphia Flyers, Gavin McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ivar Stenberg of the San Jose Sharks. For Boston, the hope is that Hagens forces his way into that discussion as the season unfolds and validates the seventh overall pick in the 2025 Entry Draft.
There’s also some uncertainty hanging over Matthew Poitras, who remains unsigned with training camp set to begin next month. The Bruins are still one day away from camp at Warrior Ice Arena, but if it started today, Poitras would not be there.
A deal can still get done, but the longer this drags on, the more uneasy it feels. It’s a pivotal stretch for both Poitras and the Bruins, and if he doesn’t project as part of the picture for 2026-27 and beyond, Don Sweeney may eventually have to think seriously about moving on.
Not there yet, but the possibility is getting harder to ignore.
In Other News...
Bruins Face A Risky Casey Mittelstadt Decision Before The Season
Casey Mittelstadt has quickly become one of the more interesting talking points around the Bruins as the season approaches, and not necessarily in a simple good-news way. His fit in Boston has already drawn mixed reaction from fans, with some seeing a player who can help move the puck and others wondering whether he settles in as more of a possession piece than a true long-term answer in a demanding role.
The uncertainty around Mittelstadt is what makes the next decision feel so delicate for Boston. If the Bruins decide they need to move him, the market could be shaped by teams looking for skill down the middle and a fresh start for a player whose background still gives him some appeal, but the conversation only gets more complicated when the question becomes whether the team should wait or act before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Bruins Goalie Is Fueling Boston's Draft Regret
Dan Vladar is the latest former Bruins goalie to make Bostons 2015 draft look a little worse in hindsight. Taken in the third round by the Bruins, Vladar has gone on to establish himself as a reliable NHL starter after leaving Boston, first getting moved to Calgary in 2022 and then finding a more permanent home in Philadelphia.
In 2025-26, Vladar was the Flyers No. 1 goalie and helped push them into the second round of the playoffs with a 29-14-7 record, a 2.42 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Philadelphia has already rewarded that season with a five-year extension, another sign that the Bruins may have given up on a goaltender who was still very much on the rise. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremy Swayman Just Raised The Stakes For Boston Next Season
Jeremy Swaymans bounce-back season did more than steady the Bruins in net, it reset the expectations around him heading into the next year. He finished 31-18-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, numbers that put him back in the conversation among the leagues better starters after a season that could have gone a different way.
The recognition followed, too, with a Vezina Trophy finalist nod and a fifth-place spot on NHL Networks top-10 goalie list going into 2026-27. Boston also enters the season with a new look behind him, after trading Joonas Korpisalo and clearing the backup job for Michael DiPietro, a setup that only sharpens the spotlight on Swayman if the Bruins are going to take another step. [Read more 🡒]