Bruins
A preview of the 2025-26 NHL season for the Boston Bruins, including predictions from VSiN NHL Expert Jonathan Davis. For all other NHL team previews, check out our NHL page.
Key Additions: Marco Sturm (head coach), Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Mikey Eyssimont
Key Departures: No notables
Overview
After eight consecutive trips to the playoffs, the Bruins 33-point drop was the largest of any team from the prior season. It was their lowest point production since putting up the identical 76 points in 2007. Boston will have a new bench boss this season with the hiring of Marco Sturm, most recently the head coach for the AHL’s Ontario Reign, the Kings top minor league team.
The trade of Brad Marchand left the Bruins without a captain. Speculation has been that David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy could share the captaincy.
Offense
Last season, David Pastrnak treated the NHL like a video game. Pasta was in on a league-high 47.7% of Boston’s goals. He was just one of two players last season to record over 300 shots on goal (319). He registered at least four shots in 48 of his 82 games last season. He had five shots on goal or more 34 times and 16 times he had six or more. His 106 points were 49 points more than Morgan Geekie, who finished second on the team in scoring with 56.
For his part, Geekie had a breakout season in 2024-25 scoring 33 goals, matching his combined output from his previous three seasons.
With Marchand traded to Florida, the Bruins are going to need to rely even more on the likes of Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittlestadt. It’s rare that any team has the third-leading goal scorer in the league and finishes 27th overall in goals scored.
Defense
The B’s gave up the 26th-most goals as a team last season and 50 more than the season prior when they ranked fifth overall. Injuries to Hampus Lindholm and McAvoy left the Bruins without their top two defensemen for a combined 97 games. The blue line got even thinner at the trade deadline with Brandon Carlo to Toronto. Boston’s 24 goals by defenseman last season ranked 31st in the league, only ahead of Toronto.
With the injuries to McAvoy and Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, in just his second season, found himself playing just under 20 minutes a night, a role he wasn’t ready for as he finished with the league’s worst plus-minus rating of -43. Nikita Zadorov’s first season in Boston didn’t go as planned. His 145 penalty minutes led the team and were more than the 11 other blueliners who combined.
Goaltending
Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins were embroiled in contract negotiations that didn’t see the two sides come to terms until two days before the start of the season. Swayman won his first two starts, but did not win consecutive games until a three-game win streak in early December. His 29 regulation losses were just one fewer than he totaled in three prior seasons combined. Swayman joined Team USA for the World Championships and helped lead USA to a gold medal, going 7-0 with 1.69 GAA and two shutouts. Joonas Korpisalo returns as the backup.
Player to Watch
Fraser Minten came to the Bruins in the Carlo trade with Toronto. Minten has 25 NHL games under his belt split over parts of two seasons, having scored three goals and added two assists. In his final two seasons in the Western Hockey League, he scored 52 goals in 104 games.
Outlook
The schedule makers didn’t do the Bruins any favors with an opening month that includes the Avalanche twice, the Golden Knights and hosting Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers. Boston’s projected point total is 80.5, juiced to the Under (-130). Boston Under 80.5 points is my play.
Team Futures
Regular Season Points: 80.5
To Make the Playoffs: +400
To Miss the Playoffs: -600
To Win the Atlantic Division: +10000
To Win the Eastern Conference: +7500
To Win the Stanley Cup: +15000
2024-25 Recap
Record: 33-39-10, 76 points (8th Atlantic)
Over/Under: 40-41-1
Home Favorite: 14-11 // Home Dog: 6-10
Road Favorite: 5-5 // Road Dog: 8-23
Win Score 4 or more: 20 of 33 // Lose Give Up 4 or more: 31 of 49
Puck Line Wins: 21 of 33 // Puck Line Losses: 29 of 49
Front End Back-to-Back: 5-5 // Back End Back-to-Back: 5-5
Points Leader: David Pastrnak – 106
Goal Leader: David Pastrnak – 43
Assist Leader: David Pastrnak – 63
Shots on Goal Leader: David Pastrnak – 319 (Nathan MacKinnon – 320, only players over with 300+ shots on goal)
Blocked Shots Leader: Andrew Peeke – 126
Depth Chart
Forwards
Morgan Geekie / Elias Lindholm / David Pastrnak
Pavel Zacha / Casey Mittlestadt / Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot / Matthew Poitras / Marat Khusnutdinov
John Beecher / Sean Kuraly / Mikey Eyssimont
Defense
Mason Lohrei / Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm / Henri Jokiharju
Nikita Zadorov / Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman / Joonas Korpisalo
Power Play Unit 1
Morgan Geekie, Caey Mittlestadt, Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy
