The dust has settled and hockey is right around the corner. With the Bruins adding new pieces to the roster, there is a lot to look forward to during the 2024-25 regular season. Every team has its X-factors, so here are three for the Boston Bruins entering the 2024-25 season.
Joonas Korpisalo
You might be thinking to yourself how a backup goalie can be an X-factor. Looking around the league, we can see other teams that have two reliable netminders. Jonathan Quick was great for the New York Rangers, as he gave Igor Shesterkin a much-needed break and delivered wins. With Ilya Sorokin struggling for the New York Islanders, Semyon Varlamov stepped up big time. This is the same thing the Bruins experienced the last three seasons.
The Bruins have set a trend for goaltender usage and that’s because they’ve had two reliable ones. Whether it was Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark, the Bruins always had a chance to win. With Ullmark gone, the Bruins will need to have Joonas Korpisalo step to the forefront.
Swayman has yet to shoulder a full season’s workload, but is up for the challenge. Although, in order for the team to not run its prized young goaltender into the ground, they’ll need Korpisalo to deliver when called upon.
Having two reliable goalies is a luxury and is crucial over an 82-game season. Being able to provide rest for your starter is crucial come playoff time so he doesn’t run out of steam. Korpisalo is coming off his worst statistical season with a 3.27 goals against average (GAA) and a .890 save percentage (SV%). Also, his negative-16.1 goals saved above expected (GSAx) was second-worst in the league among goalies who started 10-plus games.
While Swayman was one of the best goalies during the 2023-24 season, they’ll need him to replicate that success. But if Korpisalo can come in and shut the door and play well above his 2023-24 season, he will be a huge difference maker during the regular season.
Elias Lindholm
This might be the biggest X-factor for the Bruins during the 2024-25 season. With general manager Don Sweeney searching for center depth, he landed the biggest fish on the market. Pavel Zacha has been good for the Bruins since coming over in a trade from the New Jersey Devils. However, he is better suited for the wing and the keys to the top line have been passed on to Lindholm.
Lindholm will center the top line and be flanked by David Pastrnak and Zacha. Lindholm hasn’t had elite line mates since his breakout 2021-22 season with the Calgary Flames and now will be flanked by one of the league’s best goal scorers. It is more than his production that will make him an X-factor. He does the little things right and it will allow the Bruins to be a better hockey team.
The Bruins need a faceoff specialist and that’s precisely what Lindholm is. His career 54.6% faceoff win percentage is huge for the team and it’ll give head coach Jim Montgomery a reliable player for key defensive zone draws. The Bruins were not good on faceoffs during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and saw Pastrnak have the best win percentage. Another element to this is the Bruins’ ability to possess the puck more often. During the 2023-24 regular season, the Bruins finished 24th in Corsi For percentage (CF%) with 47.49. They also were a team that was outshot and they were not the strongest team during five-on-five play.
Having Lindholm can help in that regard and allow them to control the play more frequently. Also, he will be a penalty-kill specialist and his defensive prowess will allow him to fit like a glove in the lineup.
Matthew Poitras
When Matthew Poitras made the team out of training camp during the 2023-24 season it was a pleasant surprise. He came in with the right attitude and a smile on his face and was happy to be there. Poitras gave the staff every reason to keep him and it paid off.
Poitras had strong on-ice impacts. The puck possession was dead even when he was on the ice and in doing so the Bruins held an advantage in shots on goal. Also, the Bruins had a positive expected goals-for percentage with him on the ice and held a positive goal differential. Scoring chances came in waves and the Bruins even managed to do damage in the high danger areas of the ice.
Production followed suit with his strong impacts. He finished with five goals and 15 points in 33 games and a 12.5% shooting percentage. Unfortunately, Poitras had his season cut short with a shoulder injury. He has put on size and has added muscle, and this is huge for him entering the 2024-25 season.
The Bruins are deeper going into this season than last season. What Poitras brought last season was much needed depth. What he can do this season is elevate the lineup and give the Bruins another line they can count on for goal scoring. A healthy Poitras could easily reach the 30 or 40 point mark by season’s end.
Bruins X-Factors Can Propel the Team
These three players all can play crucial roles. You already know what you’ll get with Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and even Charlie Coyle. The back end is solidified with the veteran core that’s been great for the club and added Nikita Zadorov to the fold. If Korpisalo can help form a new successful tandem, Lindholm performs like a number-one center, and Poitras picks up where he left off last season, this Bruins team has the makings to be among the best in the Eastern Conference.
