As the puck drops on the 2025-26 NHL season, the Boston Bruins find themselves on uncertain footing. Following a disappointing season last year, the team is looking to reset, rebuild, and push for a playoff berth. Many anticipate this season to be slow for the Bruins, but the front office has made it clear that they want a playoff spot at the end of the season. However, new head coach Marco Sturm has made his intentions for this season clear, stating, “I want to see us come together. I’m not going to say we’ve got to make the playoffs, we have to be in a playoff spot by November or this and that. No. No. I want to see us grow.”
The 2024-25 season was a rough one for the Bruins, who ended with a 33-39-10 record, placing them last in the Atlantic Division and twenty-eighth of 32 teams in league standings. It was a season filled with injuries, contentious contract negotiations, and inconsistency. At the end of the season, many beloved players and key contributors were traded. However in June, during the offseason, the Bruins hired head coach Marco Sturm to try and turn around the team’s trajectory.
Despite many fans being skeptical about how the team will pivot from their disappointing 2024-25 season, the Bruins are off to a good start. In their season opener against Washington, the team pulled through with a 3-1 win. Their next matchup against Chicago was a tight game, but Fraser Minten was able to drive a wrister home in overtime to take a 4-3 win. With Chicago being a low-ranked team and the Bruins allowing three goals, the game did not go exactly as planned. With a 2-0-0 record to start the season, the Bruins are looking to build momentum quickly.
A point of optimism for the Bruins is their defense. Boston has always been known as a strong defensive team, and with defensive leaders Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm back, the blue line is looking stronger. McAvoy and Lindholm played only a collective 67 games last year, with Lindholm out for the majority of the season. If the two can stay healthy, the team’s defense is positioned for a positive turnaround after struggling last season in their absence.
The Bruins’ offense is where the real challenges become apparent. The team struggled a lot with scoring depth last season, relying heavily upon David Pastrňák, who had almost double the amount of points as the second top scorer. His season was also interrupted by tendonitis in his knee, posing early questions about his ability to stay healthy this season. Beyond him, in order for the team to rack up more points, players such as Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha will need to carry more of the scoring load. After those three, the drop-off in offensive production is significant. Unless younger players take a bigger step than is expected, offense will likely hinder the Bruins’ success this season.
After underperforming in the 2024-25 season, goaltender Jeremy Swayman is looking to regain his previous status as a top goaltender. Swayman finished the season with a .892 save percentage. Comparatively, during the 2023-24 regular season, he had a save percentage of .916 and a .920 in the season before. In the season opener, Swayman shone, with a .971 save percentage, stopping 34 of 35 shots. With a solid defense, there is an opportunity for Swayman to re-establish himself as one of the best goaltenders.
ESPN predicts the Bruins will end the season with 80.2 points, which is a tiny jump from last season. Although the front office clearly maintained that they are hoping for a playoff berth, realistically, it is an unlikely goal. However, the season is off to an auspicious start, and if key players can stay healthy and forwards besides the top three producers can take on bigger roles, Boston may find more success than most believe. Regardless of playoff success, the season is an opportunity to build a stronger foundation for future seasons.