The Bruins open their season Thursday night against the Rangers at TD Garden, and the buzz around Boston’s roster has barely slowed since summer. After a busy offseason that brought in JJ Peterka, plus right-shot defensemen Will Borgen and Connor Clifton to help shore up the right side, there’s no shortage of questions - or optimism - about what comes next.
One of the biggest reasons for that optimism is Peterka. Boston landed him from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round picks on draft day in June, and after a full training camp, he’s already looking like a major fit.
He’s been lined up on the opposite wing from David Pastrnak in the lead-up to the season and has also earned a spot on the top power play unit. That kind of deployment matters, especially for a player who still scored 25 goals last season despite getting just under 16 minutes per game in Utah.
That’s why the first bold call here is a big one: Peterka gets to 35 goals or more. The role is there, the talent is there, and Boston clearly plans to use him like a difference-maker.
The Bruins’ season could also become a whirlwind in the trade market. Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday that Boston is actively trying to move Henri Jokiharju, while also raising questions about Matthew Poitras’ future with the club. Poitras would not clear waivers, which makes him a tricky piece to manage, and Jokiharju could bring back a draft pick if the Bruins are willing to retain salary.
There’s a real sense that this roster could keep changing as the year goes on. If Boston is in the mix, Don Sweeney has draft capital and cap space to add help.
If the season goes the other way, the names most likely to move are Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Mason Lohrei. Zacha and Mittelstadt are pending UFAs, while Lohrei is a pending RFA with an uncertain path ahead.
That leads to another bold prediction: the Bruins make more than five trades during the season. With the way the roster is set up, it feels less like a possibility and more like a coming reality.
The most aggressive projection, though, belongs to James Hagens. The rookie forward is being pegged for 20-plus goals and 50-plus points, which would be a huge first-year statement. The belief here is that Hagens will start out slowly, then grow into the lineup, earn more trust, and eventually become one of Boston’s top-five goal scorers by the end of the season.
It’s a season loaded with uncertainty, but also with plenty of reasons to watch closely. Between Peterka’s arrival, the trade chatter, and Hagens’ upside, the Bruins have already given themselves a lot to track before the first puck even drops.
In Other News...
Bruins Opening Night Roster Comes With Two Early Concerns
Opening night is finally set for the Bruins, and the roster theyll bring to TD Garden against the Rangers has a different look than the one fans were expecting a few weeks ago. Boston has settled on a group of 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders, with newcomers like JJ Peterka and Will Borgen part of the mix as the club starts the 2026-27 season with some fresh pieces in place.
The early challenge, though, is obvious before the puck even drops. Charlie McAvoy will be unavailable for the first six games, and Matt Poitras is beginning the year on injured reserve, leaving Boston to sort out its lineup balance right away. For a team that wanted a stable start, those absences turn an opening-night home date into an immediate test of depth and adaptability. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Open Season Facing An Early Lineup Test Against The Rangers
The Bruins open their 2026-27 season under the bright lights, with a nationally televised date against the Rangers on ESPN giving the club an immediate measuring stick. It is also a first look at how Bostons reworked roster will hold up after a summer that brought some notable personnel movement between these two teams, setting up a matchup with a little more edge than a typical opener.
Charlie McAvoys six-game suspension leaves Boston shorthanded on the blue line, and Will Borgen is expected to slide into a major role alongside Hampus Lindholm right away. Jeremy Swayman is lined up to start in goal for the Bruins, while Igor Shesterkin is expected to go for New York, making the first night of the season as much about early stability as it is about the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Have Every Right To Be Frustrated By This Center Plan
The Bruins are heading toward the 2026-27 season with an opening-night look that has plenty of people in the fan base scratching their heads. Recent practice work suggested Elias Lindholm could open as the top center between JJ Peterka and David Pastrnak, a configuration that speaks volumes about where Boston is trying to make its impact and where it still may be short. For a team that has spent time searching for a true answer down the middle, it is the kind of setup that invites immediate debate before the season even starts.
Don Sweeney has tried to frame the issue around overall depth rather than neat center labels, and that distinction matters because it hints at how the Bruins view Lindholm in the lineup. The problem is that the roster picture still leaves open the same old question about whether Boston has actually solved its need for a legitimate top-line center, or is simply arranging pieces until something better emerges. However the lines eventually settle, the early signs suggest this conversation is far from finished. [Read more 🡒]