The NHL’s next schedule drop is right around the corner, and the league is lining up a busy week. On Wednesday, July 15, it will unveil the opening-night matchups for September, then on July 16 the full 2026-27 schedules will come out for every team, including the Boston Bruins. This will be the first season under the league’s 84-game format, which means the calendar is arriving a little earlier than fans are used to.
That earlier start is already showing up at the AHL level. The Providence Bruins will open their home schedule on Oct. 2, when the Utica Comets come to the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
The Comets are the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. Providence also teased the opener on social media, calling it “A season opener built for the black & gold ⚫️🟡” and noting a pregame ceremony with banner reveals and full team intros.
For Boston, the offseason roster work continues as well. The Bruins announced Thursday that they re-signed forward Riley Duran to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000. More moves are expected before training camp opens in September.
Around the league, the offer-sheet chatter got a jolt when the Philadelphia Flyers made one to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson for $18 million. For a moment, it looked like the kind of move that could shake things up in a big way, but Anaheim matched it on Thursday to keep Carlsson in Southern California.
And in Chicago, the Blackhawks said young star Connor Bedard had shoulder surgery and will be out until November, though the team expects a full recovery. It’s still unclear what, if anything, that means for Boston, but the Bruins did face Chicago in their home opener last October and came away with an overtime win. Bedard remains one of the league’s fastest-rising names.
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Bruins Costly Offseason Signing Is Suddenly Sparking A Very Different Debate
When Boston signed Tanner Jeannot to a five-year, $17 million deal, the move was framed as the kind of bet that could swing from savvy to expensive in a hurry. A season later, the early returns have been enough to keep the discussion going, because Jeannots first year in black and gold was not just about the contract number. He played in 77 games, chipped in six goals and 16 assists, and settled into a role that kept him on the ice for 12:39 a night.
Jeannot then carried that same steady presence into the playoffs, where he appeared in all six games against Buffalo and added a goal while putting nine shots on net. The bigger question around him now is not whether he can be useful, but what the Bruins should really expect from a player whose value is being judged through a very different lens than it was on signing day. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Opening Night Picture Already Looks Brutal For Three Roster Hopefuls
Bostons offseason has already featured a few moves from Don Sweeney, but the roster picture still feels unfinished with training camp approaching. There is still a sense that more changes are coming before opening night, and that uncertainty has put a few fringe names in a tougher spot than they were a few weeks ago.
Among the players feeling that squeeze are Mason Lohrei, Alex Steeves and Henri Jokiharju, all of whom face an uphill climb to stick when the Bruins settle on their opening-night group. Steeves could be pushed out if Boston adds more youth or makes another move, while Jokiharjus case is complicated by a season in which he spent too much time on the sideline, leaving the Bruins with reasons to keep looking elsewhere as the roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]