The Bruins walked into 2025-26 with plenty of skepticism around them, and by the end of the year they had at least answered one question: they were good enough to reach the postseason picture as the first Eastern Conference wild-card team. But as training camp gets closer and the roster still looks thin, the big issue is what Boston can realistically be in 2026-27 if this group is what they bring to the ice.
That’s the tension hanging over the season. The front office made it clear after last year that the roster needed help, yet the offseason has not produced the kind of upgrades that change the conversation.
The Bruins’ only notable additions have been JJ Peterka in the top six and Will Borgen on defense. Joonas Korpisalo is gone after being traded to the New York Rangers, and the sense around the roster is that Boston may have shuffled pieces more than it truly improved.
That’s why the ceiling is hard to pin down. The Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference have gotten stronger, and FanDuel currently has the Bruins finishing last in the division.
If this is the group Sturm takes into the season, matching last year’s first wild-card finish already feels like a stretch. For Boston to climb higher, the younger players have to matter in a real way.
Jeremy Swayman needs to back up his No. 5 NHL Network ranking from this summer, and the health of key pieces will loom large.
Elias Lindholm has to stay on the ice. James Hagens and Matthew Poitras have to find useful full-time roles.
There are a lot of moving parts and not many sure things.
So where does that leave the best-case scenario? The Bruins’ ceiling for 2026-27 is the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
The floor is a lot uglier. This could be the kind of season where the lack of meaningful offseason movement really bites.
Boston is not being viewed as a contender, and if the season goes sideways, there’s a real path to the bottom of the conference. There’s also the middle ground, but that feels less secure than usual because the rest of the division and conference have improved while Boston has largely stood still.
The offense, in particular, looks like the biggest concern. The Bruins essentially swapped Peterka for Viktor Arvidsson and Borgen for Andrew Peeke, and that doesn’t scream progress.
There just doesn’t seem to be enough scoring on the roster. And eventually, Morgan Geekie is going to come back to earth, right?
If things break badly, Boston’s floor is the basement of the Eastern Conference and a high lottery pick in next June’s draft.
In Other News...
Bruins Face A Matthew Poitras Decision As Camp Nears
Training camp is getting closer, and Matthew Poitras still has no contract in place, which leaves the Bruins with a decision to make on one of their more intriguing young forwards. The 22-year-old has been part of the conversation around Bostons next wave, and his situation now sits at an awkward intersection of development, roster planning and timing.
Around the league, the speculation has already started to swirl, with some wondering whether Boston could eventually entertain a trade path rather than let the story linger. A one-year deal would at least give the Bruins a cleaner way to evaluate Poitras on their own terms, while also avoiding the kind of prospect departure that can leave a hole in both the pipeline and the conversation around the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Still Havent Settled The Leadership Question Fans Keep Watching
The Bruins have spent the past stretch without a captain, and the question is still hanging over the club as the 2026-27 season draws closer. Since trading Brad Marchand in March 2025, Boston has leaned on a leadership group instead of handing the role to one player, with alternate captains David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm carrying much of the responsibility last season.
President Cam Neely said the organization values leadership from several voices rather than putting everything on a single badge, and the issue is set to be revisited with general manager Don Sweeney and coach Marco Sturm. If the Bruins do decide it is time to go back to naming a captain, Pastrnak and McAvoy remain the names most people around the team are watching most closely. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Blue Line Battle Could Decide If This Defense Is Really Fixed
A crowded blue line is one of the more interesting storylines hanging over Bruins camp, and it is going to be impossible to ignore once the skates get going. Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov give Boston a sturdy top layer, but the rest of the group is packed with players trying to prove they belong, including Mason Lohrei, Jonathan Aspirot, Will Borgen and Connor Clifton.
For a team that spent last season trying to clean up its defensive play, the challenge is not just finding six defensemen who can handle NHL minutes. It is sorting out which combinations make the group better, which players fit the roles Boston needs most and how much risk the Bruins are willing to take in trimming the roster when camp pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]