The Boston Bruins appear to be on track for yet another strong season in 2024-25, as the team was quite active in free agency when general manager Don Sweeney brought in talented center Elias Lindholm and pounding defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
In addition to those two major moves, the Bruins brought in physical forwards Max Jones and Mark Kastelic to man fourth-line roles.
The Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division a year ago, giving up the lead in the division to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers late in the year. The Bruins escaped the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a seventh game overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs before losing in the second round to the Florida Panthers.
It was a strange season for the Bruins, as it came a year after their record-setting 2022-23 season in which they broke NHL records for regular-season wins and points. Despite that dominating year, they were shockingly eliminated in the first round by the Panthers.
That defeat hung over the Bruins last year. Additionally, they had to compete without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Both of those star veterans retired in the offseason, and it seemed the Bruins were somewhat shorthanded at the center position during the regular season.
Elias Lindholm moves into first line role
The Bruins used Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their top two centers last year. While both did well, neither appeared to be a No. 1 center. The arrival of Lindholm on the top line means that Zacha can fill the left wing spot on that unit with explosive David Pastrnak on right wing. Don’t be surprised Pastrnak reaches the 60-goal mark for the second time in his career.
Coyle will maintain his spot as the No. 2 center with Brad Marchand at left wing and Morgan Geekie at right wing. Marchand is recovering from three offseason surgeries, and reaching full speed by the start of the season may be a challenge for the 36-year-old. Geekie is a solid contributor who scored a career-best 17 goals and 22 assists last year, but there are questions if he is ready to step up and score 25 to 30 goals on the second line.
If head coach Jim Montgomery and Sweeney are having any doubts about Geekie or any other slot, then the Bruins need to consider a trade for a high-scoring forward.
The ideal target is probably somewhat out of reach. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers would fill a key role for the Bruins, but he has five years remaining on a contract that pays him slightly more than $5.1 million per season. It is unlikely that the Oilers would trade such a solid asset.
Clayton Keller could be a strong fit
Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9)
Perhaps the Bruins could make a move for Clayton Keller of the Utah Hockey Club. Like Nugent-Hopkins, Keller has four years remaining on his contract. However, Utah has so many needs, particularly on defense, that they might consider a trade.
Still it would be hard for Sweeney to accomplish. The Bruins still need to work out a new deal for restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman. Paying Keller more than $7 million would be something of a hardship.
However, he scored 33 goals and 43 assists last year and he would give the Bruins quite a bit more firepower and that could have an impact up and down the lineup.
Bruins hoping to see strong performances in training camp
If the Bruins don’t go through and make a big trade in training camp, they have a couple of young players who can step up for them.
One of them is Matthew Poitras, who earned his spot on the team last year with an impressive training camp performance and then got off to a good start during the season. However, Poitras suffered a right shoulder injury and underwent surgery. His recovery has gone well and he has also added strength this year.
The other top prospect for the Bruins is Fabian Lysell. If he can make the team in training camp, he appears to have game-changing skill and speed that could pay off when he gets an opportunity to make plays in the offensive zone.
Lysell is not a big man, but he is decently built at 5-11 and 181 pounds. He scored 15 goals and 35 assists in 56 games for the Bruins’ Providence farm team last year before an injury ended his season. However, he should be healthy in training camp and ready to make a strong showing.
Hard-working players in bottom six
Poitras should be a third-line center and he will likely be surrounded by left wing Trent Frederic and right wing Justin Brazeau. Frederic has shown both toughness and improvement throughout his career, and he could score 20 goals or more if he continues to step up.
Brazeau was promoted from Providence last year and he displayed size, speed and scoring ability. He scored five goals and 7 points in 19 games, and the Bruins are hoping he can score 20 goals in a full season.
Jones has been languishing in Anaheim for the last six seasons and the Bruins are hoping he can use his tough and physical style to punish opponents.
Going up against the Bruins defense is also likely to be quite demanding this season. The Boston defense is led by Charlie McAvoy and his teammates on the blue line are all huge. Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Andrew Peeke, Mason Lohrei and Zadorov are all big men who can punish smaller forwards.
The Bruins should be able to get back to playing their best hockey in 2024-25. There have been significant offseason changes to the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Bruins could have an edge on their long-time rivals as a result. If they can also hold off the Toronto Maple Leafs, they should have an excellent chance to gain first place in the Atlantic Division.
