The Bruins are heading into the 2026-27 season with the same big question hanging over them as camp wraps up: did they do enough this offseason to fix what went wrong?
Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report didn’t think so. In his offseason grades for every team, he gave Boston a “C,” and the reason was plain. The Bruins leaned too heavily on Jeremy Swayman last season, and the changes on the blue line may not be enough to change that.
“The concern is that the Bruins were a little too dependent on goalie Jeremy Swayman to bail out a poor defensive performance in 2025-26, and I'm not sure the additions of Will Borgen and Connor Clifton will remedy those issues,'' Gretz wrote.
That assessment lines up with the larger picture around Boston’s roster. The Bruins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres last spring, and a week later president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney met with the media and said more talent was needed. The offseason, though, did not bring the kind of overhaul that would suggest those concerns were fully addressed.
The defense remains the most obvious issue. Sweeney was reportedly trying to land Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, and there was apparently a deal in place before a Boston player reportedly refused to waive their no-movement clause to complete it. Nurse would have been a meaningful addition on the back end, but instead the Bruins settled for Borgen, acquired from the Rangers, and Clifton, who returned after leaving in free agency a couple of years ago.
Gretz’s view was that those moves may not move the needle much, and it’s hard to argue the point based on the source of Boston’s problems last season.
Up front, the Bruins made one notable swing when Sweeney sent a pair of first-round picks to the Utah Mammoth for JJ Peterka shortly before the Entry Draft in June. That could wind up being one of the more underrated moves of the summer if Peterka finds his scoring touch in Boston’s top six.
But the biggest hole still hasn’t been filled. Boston has not added a top-six center, and Sturm is expected to start with the same group that finished last season.
That means Elias Lindholm remains the top center with David Pastrnak for now, even though the fit is far from ideal. If the Bruins decide to make a change, Pavel Zacha could move up there, or Fraser Minten could get a look.
Long term, James Hagens may be the answer.
For now, though, the overall picture is hard to miss. It was an underwhelming offseason for the Bruins, and a second straight playoff berth will be a tough ask with this roster. The defense sits near the top of the concern list, and it’s still waiting for a real fix.
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