Three former Bruins players who left either in free agency or a trade are enjoying their returns to Boston in 2024-25.
When the Boston Bruins were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring by the Florida Panthers, you knew that there was a summer of change coming. GM Don Sweeney went to work in late June and early July building a roster for the 2024-25 season without some key names.
We are just over a quarter of the way through the season and three former Bruins' who were on the team last season and even going back a little further have made a return to the TD Garden this season. All of them have had a lot of success in their returns to Causeway St. and all of them have left with the last laugh, a win over the Black and Gold.
Former Bruins feasting in return to Boston in 2024-25
Three former Bruins have returned this season already and had a lot of success against their former organization. Two of them left with wins in regulation, while one had one of the more memorable returns and was a key player in an overtime win.
Linus Ullmark
One of the memorable returns this season was goalie Linus Ullmark. In June, Sweeney traded him to the Ottawa Senators for a first-round draft pick, forward Mark Kastelic and goalie Joonas Korpisalo. On Nov. 9, he returned with the Senators and picked up a 3-2 overtime win that will go down as one of the more bizarre games this season.
Tied 2-2 through two periods and after making 13 saves through the opening 40 minutes, Ullmark did not face a shot on the net in the third period. In overtime, he had to make one save, a pad save when he denied Elias Lindholm on a 2-on-1. The rebound deflected out to Brady Thachuk and he went down the other end and beat Jeremy Swayman with a wrist shot for the win. Ullmark finished with 14 saves.
James van Riemsdyk
Last season, Sweeney signed a number of veterans on short-term deals and one of those was forward James van Riemsdyk. He came in and played a big role in the middle-six for the Bruins and on the power-play. On Nov. 16, he returned with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a late deal in the off-season and had a hand in a victory.
Columbus scored three first-period goals on their way to 5-1 victory that ended up costing Jim Montgomery his job the next day. JVR gave the Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead in the final minute of the opening period when he knocked home a puck in the crease.
Jake DeBrusk
The third and final former Bruin to return to Boston and have success is Jake DeBrusk. Out of all the players coming back and sticking it to Sweeney and the Bruins, the happiest might be the 14th overall pick in the 2015 Entry Draft.
Boston dominated the Vancouver Canucks to the tune of outshooting them 33-15, but as has been the case a lot early this season, they were shut out. Scoreless in the second period and with the Canucks on the power-play, DeBrusk was parked out in front of the net and was able to bang home a deflected puck for what turned out to be the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win. He finished the game with three shots on the net and a block.
This is the kind of season that the Bruins are having right now, former players coming back to Boston and having a hand in their current team's win. It's not even close to being the final opportunity for that to happen as Matt Grzelcyk and the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Boston Friday night for a 6:30 game. Can the Bruins' former defenseman continue the recent success of former players coming back and sticking it to Sweeney and the Bruins? We don't have to wait long to find out.
