Fans may not be surprised as the lack of offseason moves becomes reality and the regular season looms. The Boston Bruins are now underdogs to qualify for the postseason, with FanDuel Sportsbook posting +400 odds for the team to make the 2025-26 Stanley Cup playoffs.

That translates to just a 20% implied probability.

Following the dismal 2024-25 season, wherein the Bruins finished 33-39-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, expectations have not increased but plummeted. Of course, last season was marred by internal turmoil, including a public clash between captain Brad Marchand and coach Jim Montgomery, culminating in Marchand’s trade following Montgomery’s firing.

New head coach Marco Sturm will inherit a roster that hasn’t seen significant upgrades, leaving everyone questioning how the Bruins move forward.

It’s all a stark reflection of recent struggles and general manager Don Sweeney’s sleepy summer. No, the Bruins were not among the free agent winners.

At the heart of the Bruins’ hopes is their core trio: forward David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Pastrnak, a consistent 40-goal scorer, remains the offensive engine, but at 29, he’s carrying too much of the team. McAvoy, 27, is a top-pair blueliner capable of logging heavy minutes and quarterbacking the power play, yet injuries and faulty treatment have hampered his consistency. Swayman, fresh off a solid but unproven starting role, needs to prove he can handle a 60-game workload without Linus Ullmark as backup.

The powerhouse Atlantic Division doesn’t help, either. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the three-time defending Stanley Cup Florida Panthers — the latter fresh off back-to-back Stanley Cup appearances — are loaded with talent and depth. FanDuel has the Lightning at -600 to make the playoffs, implying an 85.7% chance, while the Panthers sit at even shorter odds. The Bruins’ projected point total hovers around 80, per betting lines, well below the 95-plus needed for a wildcard spot in recent years.

The Offseason

Offseason moves were minimal. Elias Lindholm, acquired in free agency last year, underperformed with just 15 goals amid adaptation issues. He will need to regain his 30-goal form from Calgary. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov adds physicality, but the blue line lacks mobility beyond McAvoy. Up front, young talents like Matthew Poitras and Fabian Lysell could break out, but they’re untested at the NHL level.

And Lysell’s NHL future is increasingly in doubt after yet another training camp cut last week.

Make no mistake, Sweeney faces pressure to act. Rumors have swirled for two years of potential trades for scoring help, perhaps targeting a winger like Pavel Buchnevich or a center to complement Lindholm. Without bold action, another lottery finish looms — FanDuel’s stage-of-elimination odds have Boston at -550 to miss the playoffs entirely.

Sure, it could happen. The Bruins could catch a wave, and others could falter. If Swayman steals games, Pastrnak pots 50 goals, and the special teams improve from last season’s middling ranks, the Bruins could defy the odds.

For a franchise with six Stanley Cups and a rabid fanbase, +400 is not acceptable. But in the salary-cap era, rebuilds hit hard. The Bruins’ path back starts with internal growth and perhaps a splash before the Oct. 8 opener against the Montreal Canadiens. Otherwise, TD Garden might echo with frustration rather than cheers come April.