2026 Season Preview: Boston Bruins
The Bruins were active on the trade front this offseason, specifically with the Rangers. But will it be enough to keep them in the Eastern Conference playoff picture?
The Boston Bruins were a team that avoided losing a ton of players this offseason, and seemingly managed to upgrade at every position. However, in a crowded Atlantic Division, and with the Metropolitan Division full of bounce back candidates, there aren't any guarantees that they can hold on to a playoff spot as tightly as they did this past season.
2025-26 Outcome
Regular Season Results: 45-27-10
Postseason Results: Lost to Buffalo 4-1
After missing the 2025 postseason, the Bruins proved they weren’t ready to take a real step back by holding on—for dear life, at times—to an Eastern Conference wild card position. They managed to do so by trusting the process with the players they had, making minimal moves at the trade deadline, and continuing to get the most out of players nobody expected much from. Morgan Geekie continued to be a top producer for them, and Marat Khustnutdinov came out of nowhere and put up a 33 points season for them. Viktor Arvidsson was quietly fifth on the team in points, and young players like Fraser Minten and James Hagens showed they can be important pieces for their future. While they went on to be a first round exit at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, the Bruins could—and should—be content with their efforts last season, but will naturally hold higher expectations this season.
How likely are they to take a step in the right direction this year? Let’s get into it.
Who's In and Who's Out
By all accounts, the Bruins got much better this summer, despite the limited turnover. Viktor Arvidsson may have been their fifth-highest point contributor last season, but replacing him with J.J. Peterka is a massive upgrade. Peterka had a down year in his stint in Utah last season, but I fully expect him to thrive under head coach and fellow countryman Marco Sturm. Two first round picks were a steep price to pay, but that’s a fantastic addition for the Bruins.
On the blueline, you can make the argument that either of Will Borgen or Connor Clifton are upgrades from Andrew Peeke, but the fact that you have both makes it even more of a noteworthy improvement. A part of me wonders if there is still a move to be made on their blueline (Mason Lohrei) as they now have a bit of a surplus there, but we’ll get into that more later.
Joonis Korpisalo was of no use to the Bruins—especially under contract with an AAV of $3 million—so getting anything back for him was a win. Lastly, swapping Fabian Lysell for Ivan Ivan was a good bit of business. The Bruins are a bit crowded down the middle, but centers never go out of style, and it was becoming clear Lysell needed a change of scenery as he wasn’t going to get the opportunity he needed in Boston. I’m curious to see if Ivan has a place on this Bruins roster, but he’s waivers exempt for another season, meaning he can be a top center in Providence and a call up option as needed.
