Boston Bruins’ offseason leaves two critical roster needs wide open after free agency

The Boston Bruins spent heavily in free agency, but the biggest issues with their roster still haven’t been addressed heading into the 2025-26 season.

The signings came fast, but left key needs untouched

The Bruins were busy on July 1. That’s putting it lightly. Don Sweeney came out swinging, adding Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Jordan Harris, Michael Eyssimont, and Matej Blumel. Then came the trade, Viktor Arvidsson in from Edmonton, a straight-up cap dump for the Oilers, but a boost for Boston’s bottom six.

There’s no denying the volume. But after all that movement, the two biggest concerns with this roster are still sitting there, waiting.

A top-six winger. A real, dependable right-shot defenseman. They didn’t get either.

They plugged depth, but not the real gaps

Let’s be honest here: the Bruins didn’t need more bottom-six bodies. What they needed was help at the top. They needed someone who could skate next to David Pastrnak and actually belong there. Someone who moves the needle offensively. They didn’t get that.

Brock Boeser was linked to them, sure. But he re-signed in Vancouver.

Nikolaj Ehlers? He’s still out there. But unless Boston clears serious salary, that’s a pipe dream. They’ve got around $2 million left in cap space. That won’t get it done.

On the back end, it was the same story. Aaron Ekblad and Dante Fabbro never hit the market. The other right-shot options—Cody Ceci, Nick Perbix—are gone. And even if they had been available, it’s questionable how much they would’ve helped.

Henri Jokiharju is back, which is fine. He’s a useful player. But let’s not pretend he’s a top-four fix. He’s more of a steady third-pair guy.

What the Bruins have now is a logjam of role players—and not enough game-breakers. Their forward group is deeper than it was a week ago, but it’s also oddly constructed. Too many guys who do the same thing. Not enough who tilt the ice.

That might’ve been acceptable a few years ago. Not now. Not in this version of the Eastern Conference.

There’s barely any room left to work with. Unless Sweeney moves a contract or two, this might be it. That would be a mistake.

The Bruins have too much tied up in the middle of their lineup. They can afford to lose a piece—maybe even need to. But they have to be aggressive. The time for passive cap management passed the second they went all-in on July 1.

If a trade doesn’t come soon, this team might stall

Free agency didn’t bring solutions. That much is clear. So now, it’s on Sweeney to find them elsewhere. The trade market is unpredictable, but it’s also the only viable path left.

One move could change the entire dynamic here. Just one right player, especially up front, would give this roster a different tone. Right now, it feels like a team that’s still searching for its identity.

The Bruins aren’t a bad team. But they’re not built to win in April yet either. Not without more help. They’ve done the groundwork. Now it’s about getting it right at the top.

The depth signings were a start. That’s all they were. If this team wants to get back to where it expects to be, it needs more than a busy day on the calendar. It needs a bold answer, and soon.