The Boston Bruins were one of the worst teams in the NHL in the second half of the season, in large part due to Boston being sellers at the trade deadline.
After the lackluster season, Boston expects to compete for a playoff spot again, and if they are going to do it, the Bruins will need to be aggressive in the offseason. NHL insider Nick Goss of NBC Sports believes Boston should pursue Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett in free agency.
“The Bruins were able to survive at center last season without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, both of whom retired after the 2023 playoffs,” Goss wrote. “That wasn’t the case this season. The lack of suitable replacements for Boston’s two longtime centers was a massive problem…
“The best center who could become a UFA is Florida Panthers veteran Sam Bennett. He scored 25 goals — the second-highest total of his career — in 76 games. He’ll be 29 years old in June. Bennett is a solid player and a winner,” Goss added.
Bennett is in the final year of his four-year, $17.7 million deal with the Panthers. Bennett would be a good second-line center with Boston and add some grit and physicality to the lineup.
With the Panthers this season, Bennett recorded 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 76 games.
Bruins GM Takes Blame for Season
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney took the blame for the team’s lackluster season.
Boston was in a playoff spot but fell apart in the second half and finished with one of the worst records in the NHL.
“I have to accept the responsibility,” Sweeney said at the year-end press conference, “that this team significantly underperformed.”
Although Sweeney takes responsibility, the Bruins’ President Cam Neely disagrees as he says it falls onto the entire front office.
“The year we had was a huge disappointment,” Neely said. “That falls on all of us. Not just Don. It falls on all of us. I’ll figure that out in the near future with that particular question of whether we’re going to re-sign Don or not. But he’s got another year left.”
Boston finished the year with a record of 33-39-10, which was the fifth-worst record in the NHL.
