We are now halfway through the Boston Bruins’ NHL Summer Splash Series, with the team currently ranked 17th. This series evaluates all teams based on their offseason moves — including additions, departures, hirings, and firings — to assess which teams have improved, declined, or stayed about the same.
While the rankings place the Bruins near the bottom, it’s important to explore their current situation in more detail.
Additions
Key new players include right winger Viktor Arvidsson, left wingers Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Michael Eyssimont, center Alex Steeves, and defenseman Jordan Harris.
Last season, the Bruins struggled significantly, starting with an 8-9-3 record and never fully recovering. After GM Don Sweeney traded away several crucial assets like Brandon Carlo and made other changes, the team showed signs of deep-rooted problems, including a damaging 10-game losing streak late in the year.
In response, Sweeney aimed to bring in tough, physical players to enhance the team’s grit, with these new additions expected to bring that style under coach Marco Sturm’s direction. However, these new players alone aren’t likely to push the Bruins back into playoff contention. While they help fill gaps left by traded players, the core still includes stars like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, and goalie Jeremy Swayman.
We remain cautious about expecting a 45-win season or playoffs based strictly on adding "character players," but these moves should prevent the Bruins from finishing at the very bottom of the Atlantic Division again.
Departures
The Bruins saw many roster changes last year, leaving them with a team that isn’t very deep but close to the salary cap, with about $2 million left to make additional moves. They opted to keep flexibility rather than holding on to lower-ranked players.
Key departures include Vinini Lettieri (now with the Maple Leafs), Koepke (signed by the Winnipeg Jets), Wotherspoon (moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins), and Lauko (playing in the Czech Republic). These players contributed enough last season to earn spots elsewhere but were not core parts of Boston’s future plans.
Conclusion
Overall, the Bruins have made some improvements on paper compared to their roster at last season’s end, but the gains are modest. Adding toughness will help their style, but the Atlantic Division is highly competitive, with every team fighting hard for playoff spots—particularly contenders like Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo, and Detroit seeking postseason runs.
The Bruins face concerns about their goaltending, a shallow development pipeline for impact players, and veterans like Elias Lindholm not contributing enough offensively. While they will still be a challenging team next season, it’s unclear if they can fully recover from last year’s struggles, and the 2024-25 season may be another tough chapter.
In terms of the summer splash rankings, Boston sits firmly in the “below average” category. Despite offseason moves, they don’t currently look like a playoff contender, and their offseason efforts seem underwhelming.
Summer Splash Rankings (Bottom Tier)
- Boston Bruins
- Edmonton Oilers
- Minnesota Wild
- Seattle Kraken
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Washington Capitals
- Nashville Predators
- New York Islanders
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars
- Calgary Flames
- Los Angeles Kings
- Winnipeg Jets
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Buffalo Sabres
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Fan Take: The Bruins’ offseason moves highlight a critical moment for one of hockey’s most storied franchises, showing how even great teams can face rebuilding challenges. For fans, it underscores the unpredictability of the NHL and sets the stage for a potentially intense battle in the Atlantic Division next season.
