The Boston Bruins managed to shock plenty of people in 2025-26. A team few expected to even sniff the Stanley Cup Playoffs wound up with 100 points, finished fourth in the Atlantic Division, and grabbed the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot before falling to the Buffalo Sabres in six games.
That kind of season can create the illusion that a brighter stretch is just around the corner. Corey Pronman of The Athletic doesn’t see it that way. In his projected 2030-31 standings and Stanley Cup contender forecast, Boston lands all the way down at 27th.
Pronman’s reasoning was blunt. “The Bruins have an average-at-best roster and farm system, and trying to win while rebuilding on the fly is something that usually backfires more often than leading to a contending team,'' wrote Pronman.
That assessment lands hard because it points to the exact area where Boston looks thin. The current young names in the mix include Fraser Minten and James Hagens, with Will Zellers and Dean Letourneau also mentioned as possibilities. Beyond that, the Bruins may be counting on players they draft in future Entry Drafts to fill out that picture.
The long-range view gets even murkier when you look at the veterans. Jeremy Swayman would likely still be in goal, but Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak may not be in the same place by then. If Boston hasn’t won a Cup before that season, the question becomes whether either star would want to move on and chase a title elsewhere.
There’s also the front-office side of it, which hangs over any projection this far out. Who is running the team as general manager?
Is Don Sweeney still there? Is Cam Neely still there?
Are the Jacobs still owning the club? Those answers may seem obvious in some cases, but nothing is locked in when you’re talking about five years down the road.
A big reason other teams sit higher in these kinds of projections is simple: better prospect pipelines and stronger development. Boston doesn’t have that same edge right now, and that’s why this forecast reads less like a hot take and more like a warning.
In Other News...
Pastrnak Just Tapped Into What Bruins Fans Still Want From Bergeron
The gathering in Slovakia had the feel of a Bruins reunion wrapped around a tribute to Zdeno Chara, with Patrice Bergeron back alongside David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand for an exhibition game that offered plenty of nostalgia. Bergeron, who retired in July 2023, looked every bit like the player Boston fans spent so many years trusting, and his presence alone was enough to stir the kind of memories that linger long after a career ends.
Pastrnak even leaned into what plenty of Bruins supporters have probably wondered at one point or another, but Bergeron was not biting on any comeback chatter. The moment was light and playful, not a real reopening of the door, and it only reinforced how much Bergeron still means to this franchise as his Hall of Fame induction awaits in November 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Mason Lohrei Enters Bruins Camp With Real Pressure On His Spot
Mason Lohrei heads into Bruins training camp with the kind of uncertainty that can sharpen a player or unsettle him, and in his case it sounds like it has done a little of both. After a postseason that ended with him on the bench down the stretch, Lohrei is back to focusing on the 2026-27 runway, where he will be fighting for a spot against a deeper group of NHL-caliber defensemen while the Bruins sort out how their blue line is going to look.
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 🡒]
Derek Forborts Fade Says A Lot About Bostons Blue Line Now
Derek Forborts time in Boston followed a familiar arc for a depth defenseman who was asked to provide steady minutes and a physical edge. After signing a three-year deal in 2021, he fit nicely in his first season, but the next two were interrupted by injuries and a shrinking role that made it tough for him to regain any momentum. His departure for Vancouver never really changed the larger picture, either, since his run with the Canucks was limited enough to leave his value in the market a little hazy.
Now, Forbort is still looking for his next landing spot, and the conversation around him has shifted toward whether a professional tryout might be the best way to get back into camp somewhere. For Boston, the idea of a reunion does not make much sense anyway, not with the blue line already crowded and more sorting to do than opening up a spot for a familiar face. [Read more 🡒]