How the looming salary cap boost could reshape Bruins plans

After a dismal 2024-25 season, the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney are facing a rather big summer in terms of retooling the roster in an attempt to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs next spring. With that said, beginning this summer, the salary cap will increase, providing more teams with the ability to spend money and resulting in a three-year increase. The breakdown can be found here.

So what does this mean for the Bruins? It means a lot. Of course, with the salary cap going up, teams are going to have to spend more either re-signing their players or signing players in free agency.

Bruins need to go big this summer

Right now, the current expected free agent list on July 1 is impressive at different positions, but that doesn't mean that all the players are actually going to hit the open market. As this article is being written, the Black and Gold are expected to have about $28 million to spend on their free agents and anyone who hits the market.

Some players would fit the Bruins' needs this summer in free agency, but spending it wisely after last season's signings is what the front office and Sweeney need to do. Who knows, maybe a trade or two can be swung to fill roster needs with money going out and money coming in? Maybe sending a player like Joonas Korpisalo to free up more space is an option.

If there was one thing we learned from this past season, and there was a lot to learn about the Boston Bruins, it's that additional players and a roster shake-up are needed this summer. Some big-name players, Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, and Charlie Coyle, were moved at the deadline, and some of them need to be replaced, likely from outside the organization, which is easier said than done.

Do the Bruins spend wisely this summer?

Again, this is something that is easier said than done. The Bruins are spending money wisely after their two biggest signings last summer, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, struggled in their first season in Boston. The Bruins will likely use up all the cap space available to them, and they are not in a position to sit back and wait for next summer to make some big splashes.

You get the feeling that, despite signing an extension last month, Sweeney's job could very well be on the line depending on how this summer goes and how the team performs next season. Marco Sturm is the new head coach, and he'll likely have somewhat of a say when it comes to free agency, but the cap going up certainly helps the Black and Gold and all other NHL teams going forward. The boost could be coming at a good time for Boston.