With the preseason wrapped up, the Boston Bruins are down to the final roster calls before they open the 84-game regular season Tuesday night at TD Garden against the New York Rangers.
Second-year head coach Marco Sturm, his staff and Boston’s front office still have a few cuts to make in the coming days, but the shape of the Opening Night roster is coming into focus. Here’s a final look at how the Bruins could line up when the puck drops.
On the forward side, the top nine feels mostly settled, and James Hagens looks ready to be part of the picture right away. Keeping the “Kid Line” intact makes sense for Sturm, and the projected groups reflect that approach.
The forward lines project as: JJ Perterka-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak
Morgan Geekie-Pavel Zacha-Casey Mittlestadt
Marat Khusnutdinov-Fraser Minten-James Hagens
Tanner Jennot-Sean Kuraly-Mark Kastelic
There isn’t much suspense at the top of the lineup. The main question is how the pieces fit in the top six, whether on the wing or down the middle. Barring injury, that part of the roster looks locked in.
One player whose preseason has been less convincing is Sean Kuraly, though Matthew Poitras has also looked better at times before an injury set him back.
On defense, Charlie McAvoy’s six-game suspension creates an opening right away. That absence hurts, but it also clears a path for someone to claim a spot. Frederic Brunet has made a strong push, and he has done enough in preseason to put himself in position not just to make the team, but to start against the Rangers.
The back end still has some moving parts, especially with McAvoy unavailable to begin the season and the eventual question of who gets squeezed out once he returns. But keeping Henri Jokiharju and Jonathan Aspirot over Brunet would be a tough sell, especially since Brunet would need waivers to get to the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
In goal, the picture looks much cleaner. Jeremy Swayman’s backup job seemed open at the start of camp, but Michael DiPietro has grabbed it with strong play. He stood out in Sunday night’s shootout win over the Washington Capitals and again in Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston appears set between the pipes for 2026-27.
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Bruins Already Face A Tough Camp Problem At Center
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Matthew Poitras was limited by an injury this week and finished camp with just one preseason game, which narrows the margin for him at a position where Boston already needed clarity. Sean Kuraly has already skated in two preseason games, and with those appearances eating into the available runway, Dans Locmelis has been positioned for a longer look on the fourth line as the Bruins keep searching for the right fit down the middle. [Read more 🡒]
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Bruins Face A Roster Decision With One Forward Suddenly In Limbo
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For the Bruins, the situation is straightforward on paper but potentially important in practice, because a player who goes unclaimed does not simply disappear from the conversation. If Reichel clears, he can be assigned to Bostons AHL affiliate, leaving the Bruins to decide how they want to handle a forward who is now waiting on the rest of the league to make the first move. [Read more 🡒]