The Boston Bruins are coming off a strong 2025-26 season, but one new forecast says the follow-up could go the other way fast.
In a recent Bleacher Report piece, Adam Gretz projected that Boston will miss the playoffs in 2026-27, pointing to the Bruins’ roster holes and a tougher Eastern Conference around them.
"The Bruins are not going to be one of the worst teams in the league, but they might have to scratch and claw their way just to stay in playoff contention," Gretz wrote. "Enough borderline teams around them also got a lot better (New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers) that it's going to make the playoff fight a very real challenge."
That kind of prediction would be a tough pill to swallow for a team that made such a clear step forward in 2025-26. A slide back would feel like a sharp reversal.
Still, the concern isn’t coming out of nowhere. The Bruins still have work to do on the roster.
Gretz pointed out that they still haven’t found a true first-line center. Even after bringing in JJ Peterka, Boston could still use another skilled winger to round out the top six.
And while the Bruins added Will Borgen and Connor Clifton on the right side, neither defender is established as a top-four option.
If Boston does stumble next season, it could push the front office toward bigger changes. For now, though, the question is whether the Bruins can make this prediction look flat-out wrong and get back to the playoffs in 2026-27.
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