The Boston Bruins are heading into 2026-27 with real questions hanging over the roster, and one national prediction is putting that uncertainty right in the spotlight.
Sara Civian of Bleacher Report included one forecast for every NHL team this season, and her read on Boston was blunt. Even with key names still in place and a few additions on the board, she doesn’t see the Bruins taking a clear step forward after last spring’s first-round exit to the Buffalo Sabres.
"Through no fault of David Pastrňák, Charlie McAvoy, and/or Jeremy Swayman, it's hard to see the Bruins improving on, or even repeating, last year's first-round exit,'' wrote Civian. "Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie both had career seasons last year, and it really concealed the depth issues throughout this roster. JJ Peterka is a wonderful addition, Marco Sturm has been great as head coach, and yet, this roster just feels like pieces of something great that may or may not happen one day, but not today.''
That’s a tough assessment, but it’s not hard to see where it comes from. Morgan Geekie turning in another career season, Marco Sturm’s system catching fire in the second half of the year, Fraser Minten becoming a major piece of the lineup, and Jeremy Swayman rebounding all helped mask some of the cracks underneath.
The Bruins also benefited from the way injuries hit other teams, which helped them finish as the first Eastern Conference wild-card team with 100 points. Boston was in position to take advantage, and it did.
The problem now is that the rest of the field looks stronger, and the Bruins’ own offseason only went so far. The biggest move was the trade for forward JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth, a deal that cost two first-round picks.
Beyond that, Boston’s work was more modest. The club essentially swapped out Viktor Arvidsson for Peterka, added defenseman Will Borgen from the New York Rangers, and brought back Connor Clifton in free agency.
That leaves the Bruins with a familiar offseason question: is this enough to keep pace in a tougher Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference?
There’s also the matter of whether Sturm’s system can keep producing the same results, and whether the roster was built with the right pieces to support it. Boston is clearly hoping that a little more youth can make a difference, but that’s still a hope, not a guarantee.
For now, the Bruins are carrying a lot of questions into the season, and if they want anything close to last year’s success, they’ll need plenty to break right again in 2026-27.
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Bruins Season Could Force A Painful Decision On Pavel Zacha
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Zacha is the name that keeps coming up most often because of the interest he could generate if Boston slips out of playoff position. The possibility of turning him into a significant return would make any decision even tougher, especially with the Bruins trying to balance present-day competitiveness against the value of what could be waiting on the trade market. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Give Another Look To Names Fighting For Opening Night
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Boston has also been getting useful early indications from its recent exhibition results, which is exactly what these games are for at this stage. The bigger picture still points to the regular season opener at home against the Rangers, but before that comes into focus, the Bruins are continuing to evaluate a few players who can make a late case for themselves with one more solid showing on the road. [Read more 🡒]