The Boston Bruins’ centennial season has come and gone.
It was filled with pleasure and celebration, as they hosted era nights to commemorate the organization’s history. One of the most memorable was when the 2011 Stanley Cup champions were in the building, which provided a pleasant journey down memory lane. However, the journey is over, and the Bruins’ season is gone. Despite a strong effort in Game 5 to force Game 6, Gustav Forsling’s late heroics saw the Bruins eliminated in sad fashion. However, this season was far from disappointing and should not be viewed as such.
The Bruins lost cornerstone players Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, but also traded Taylor Hall. Losing major players like that is difficult to recover from, but the Bruins eventually won. What appeared to be a bridge year became much more than that.
Don Sweeney, the general manager (GM), made a number of low-budget signings, including Danton Heinen, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, and Kevin Shattenkirk. For the most part, all of those players played important roles in the Bruins’ great season, which saw them finish second in the Atlantic Division with 109 points. However, an important offseason awaits.
The Bruins have several crucial players who will become free agents, but Sweeney will have $22 million to spend. But where does the club go from here, and what should be its top objective this summer? Let’s dive in.
Locking Up Jeremy Swayman
The shift from Tuukka Rask to the next in line was simple and easy. Even though it was largely employed as a duet, the Bruins have identified their future goalie. Jeremy Swayman has answered any questions about who should be the number one goalkeeper. That is not a dig at his best friend Linus Ullmark, but his postseason performance has secured his position as number one. Head coach Jim Montgomery decided not to use the tandem, and it’s safe to say it paid off. Swayman made 12 starts for the Bruins, finishing with a.933 save percentage. Furthermore, he concluded the postseason allowing two or fewer goals in nine of his twelve games. That’s what you want to see out of your number one goalie and he delivered. He should be the top priority for the Bruins and the first contract they lock up this offseason.
Given the state of the squad and what the Bruins may hope to accomplish with this core group, riding with the younger goalkeeper provides them years of competitiveness while also allowing them to benefit from Swayman’s prime years. Furthermore, he has been a goalie who has improved with each season and expanded his game. Here’s how he’s looked every season since joining the Bruins:
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
“I can’t be more grateful to have a city, to have a home base that’s as supportive as Boston.”
The numbers speak for themselves, and he deserves every dime that comes his way. In addition, Boston feels like home to him. As he exited the ice for the final time, the crowd showered him with love. After the game, he stated,
“I can’t be more grateful to have a city, to have a home base that’s as supportive as Boston.”
Sweeney should prioritize Swayman, who represents both the present and the future.
Explore a Linus Ullmark Trade
The next order of business should fall to its other goalkeeper. As much as having two number-one goalies has been a blessing for the Bruins, Ullmark appears to be on his way out. For the second consecutive postseason, the Bruins relied solely on one goaltender, and this time it wasn’t Ullmark. It’s no ruse for him; he did look terrific in the one game he played this playoff season. But Swayman was just so good that it was difficult to justify leaving him off.
Ullmark has been a consistent goaltender for the Bruins since arriving in free agency. From 2021 to 2024, Ullmark appeared in 131 games, recording a.924 SV%, 2.28 GAA, and 49.37 GSAx. Furthermore, this is a goalkeeper who won the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23, with the best SV%, GAA, and even a goal. He will be a valuable commodity as teams search for a number-one goalie.
According to Kevin Weekes, Sweeney attempted to make a trade including Ullmark at the trade deadline, but it did not go through because he blocked it for geographical reasons. Ullmark will have a 15-team no-trade clause when the 2024-25 season begins and has one year remaining on his deal worth $5 million. With teams like the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings hunting for goaltenders, Ullmark is an appealing option. Sweeney has money to spend this summer, but moving his star goalie to help the team improve is a likely option.
Adding Depth Scoring
Head coach Jim Montgomery put it best after their second-round loss to the Panthers. In his postgame press conference, he stated, “I did not perceive dissatisfaction, but rather a lack of our ability to score in the playoffs in general. “You cannot win every game 2-1.” After players like Hall and winger Tyler Bertuzzi left the squad, the topic of goal scoring and who would take their place arose. That was clearly a problem in this series.
Credit to the Panthers for being a good defensive club that excels at shot suppression. However, even throughout the regular season, the Bruins were not the most dominant offensive team. In five-on-five play, they were 27th in shooting attempts, 22nd in shots on goal, and 13th in all-situation goals. They were in the middle of the pack offensively, led mostly by ace winger David Pastrnak.
Pastrnak pulled together another outstanding season, demonstrating that 2022-23 was no fluke. He ended the season with 47 goals and 110 points. The depth scoring is particularly concerning. For the second consecutive season, no one other than Pastrnak scored more than 30 goals. Captain Brad Marchand was the next closest player, with 29. Pastrnak finished 40 points or more ahead of the next closest player for the second consecutive season. Simply simply, the Bruins need more offensive potency and can’t rely only on Pastrnak.
Marchand, Pavel Zacha, and Charlie Coyle all had excellent seasons for the Bruins, but things changed dramatically in the playoffs, and this club need more than the 82-game sample size could provide. Sweeney will be a busy man, and that will be one of his top priorities.
A Crucial Offseason Awaits in Boston
The centennial season was memorable and will never be forgotten. This team exceeded expectations, with talented rookies like Matthew Poitras and Mason Lohrei breaking into the scene. They ended with 109 points and advanced deeper into the playoffs than the previous two years.
There will be issues to fix and areas to improve on. Swayman’s arrest should be the first priority. As wonderful as the goaltender hugs were, the moment to move on has arrived, and if the club can increase its scoring, it will be in much better shape going ahead.
