The Bruins’ first real test of the season comes fast, and it comes with a major piece missing.
When the NHL released the full 84-game schedule on Thursday, the opening six-game run immediately stood out for Boston because it will have to navigate it without defenseman Charlie McAvoy. He is set to serve a six-game suspension for his slash on Zach Benson in Game 6 of the playoffs in May, and that absence turns the start of the year into a stretch the Bruins have to manage carefully.
Boston opens Sept. 29 at home against the New York Rangers at 8 p.m., then heads into a difficult back-to-back on the road: Oct. 2 at the Winnipeg Jets at 8 p.m. and Oct. 3 at the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. The Bruins return home for Oct. 5 against the Ottawa Senators at 7:30 p.m., then host the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m.
The schedule at least gives Boston some breathing room, with four of those six games at TD Garden. But the two-game road trip against Winnipeg and Minnesota is the kind of early grind that can expose a team quickly.
That matters even more because this doesn’t look like a season where the Bruins can afford to stumble out of the gate. The Eastern Conference is expected to be better, and Boston does not appear to be significantly improved itself. A rough start could put the Bruins in a hole they won’t be able to climb out of later.
Fans will still have plenty else to circle on the calendar, from the first rematch with the Buffalo Sabres after they eliminated Boston in six games in the spring, to meetings with former teammates Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke, who both left in free agency earlier this month. Games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will also draw attention.
But before any of that, the Bruins have to get through a six-game opening stretch without McAvoy. Keeping pace through that run may end up being one of the most important tasks of their season.
In Other News...
Bruins Front Office Shakeup Just Sent A Bigger Message
The Bruins offseason has already started to take shape on more than one front, with the club lining up its 2026-27 schedule and giving fans an early look at the opening stretch. Boston will begin at home against the New York Rangers on September 29, then head out for a quick road swing through Winnipeg and Minnesota, a compact start that should tell plenty about how the roster is expected to look when the season arrives.
Just as notable, the organization is also making changes upstairs, the kind that usually says as much about direction as any lineup tweak. Add in Matej Blumels decision to head back to Czechia on a four-year deal with HC Sparta Praha after four seasons in North America, and it is clear this is a Bruins offseason with more moving parts than usual, even before the bigger questions around the roster and front office fully settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Just Got A Concerning Sign About This Offseason
Bostons summer has had the look of a team trying to patch holes while staying in the hunt, with the Bruins adding JJ Peterka, Will Borgen and Connor Clifton while moving on from Viktor Arvidsson and Joonas Korpisalo. Even with those changes, the early read on the roster is that Boston has not done enough to clearly separate itself in a crowded Atlantic Division, especially after a failed swing at a major defense upgrade left the blue line picture still unsettled.
The bigger concern is what the offseason still does not answer. A recent ranking of the leagues offseason improvements placed the Bruins 17th, a reminder that the work done so far may not be enough if the team is serious about pushing back into contention. Boston still looks like it could use more help at right-shot defense and down the middle, and unless those gaps are filled, the Bruins may enter the season with more questions than the moves have solved. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Bring Back Connor Clifton And Fans Know This Debate Too Well
Connor Clifton is back in Boston on a two-year deal, a familiar kind of move for a Bruins blue line that has long leaned on players the staff already knows. Cliftons first run with the club gave him a reputation as a depth defenseman who could handle playoff minutes, and his history here still matters because Boston has seen him in bigger moments than the average bottom-pairing option.
The question, of course, is whether this is the kind of familiarity that actually moves the needle or just another safe bet from a front office that has often preferred the known quantity. Cliftons path through Buffalo and Pittsburgh only sharpened that debate, and his return leaves the Bruins once again weighing experience against the possibility of a younger, higher-upside answer on the back end. [Read more 🡒]