The Boston Bruins wallowed through a disparaging season in 2024-25, and tore their roster down to the studs once it became abundantly clear they\u2019d miss the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They got younger, they got faster, but most of all, they got worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bruins were horrendous down the stretch of the season, winning just three of their final 18 games en route to a last place finish in the Eastern Conference with a record of 33-39-10. As consolation for their suffering, Boston awarded James Hagens, the seventh overall pick in this weekend\u2019s 2025 NHL Entry Draft<\/a>, who will undoubtedly be the face of its rebuild.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now that the draft and demolition are over, it\u2019s time for the Bruins to actually start rebuilding. Under new coach Marco Sturm<\/a>, they expect to be a competitive team again this upcoming year.\u00a0<\/p>\n If that\u2019s going to happen, there are a few glaring needs they\u2019ll have to take care of this summer through either free agency or on the trade market.\u00a0<\/p>\n Top Six Goal Scorer<\/p>\n There is no issue facing the Bruins greater than their inability to produce consistent offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boston ranked 27th in the league last season, scoring just 2.71 goals per game, with David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie<\/a> being the only two players who eclipsed 30 goals. Outside of them, no one else who\u2019s currently on the roster produced more than 17.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Bruins have players who are capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. Elias Lindholm\u2019s career-high is 42, and Pavel Zacha scored 21 goals in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023. Plus, there\u2019s hope that Casey Mittlestadt, Matthew Poitras, and Fabian Lysell will all blossom into the offensive dynamos they\u2019ve long been projected to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even still, the Bruins will need more. A lot more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Top Targets: Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jason Robertson, Jordan Kyrou, Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand<\/p>\n Right-Shot Defenseman<\/p>\n The blue line is the only area of the ice where the Bruins are relatively solid, except for the fact that they have a massive hole on the right side.\u00a0<\/p>\n After trading Brandon Carlo to the Maple Leafs last season, the Bruins acquired Henri Jokiharju<\/a> in a later deal from the Buffalo Sabres as a stop gap. He played serviceably for them, and will become a free agent in a matter of days.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Bruins are already having conversations with Jokiharju about re-signing with them, but there are also a few other intriguing options available as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Top Targets: Aaron Ekblad, Rasmus Andersson, Henri Jokiharju, Nick Perbix, Brent Burns, Cody Ceci<\/p>\n Veteran with a Voice<\/p>\n This is more of an off-ice need, but it will still have a huge effect in results on the ice as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a new era in Boston, one led by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy<\/a>. They learned under leaders such as Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand, and it\u2019s their turn to take over the reins, and reshape the Bruins\u2019 culture as they see fit.<\/p>\n However, something the two of them never learned was how to lead a young team. The Bruins have always been a contender throughout Pastrnak and McAvoy\u2019s time in the organization, one with a roster full of veteran leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, they are the veteran leaders, and there aren\u2019t many others. Sure, there\u2019s Jeremy Swayman, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Hampus Lindholm, Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha, but none of them necessarily have the commanding presence that brings equilibrium to a locker room.\u00a0<\/p>\n To help fill that void, the Bruins should be on the hunt for a veteran who can aid Pastrnak and McAvoy as they take over, but not so much that they drown out their voices, either. Preferably someone who has experience playing on bad teams. Think along the lines of someone such as Nick Foligno or Kevin Shattenkirk during their times in Boston.\u00a0<\/p>\n They don\u2019t have to be a constant source of offense or play top pair minutes. Heck, they don\u2019t even have to play every night. All they need to be is a steadying presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Top Targets: Corey Perry, Erik Johnson, Brent Burns<\/p>\n Goaltending Depth<\/p>\n Jeremy Swayman is the starting goaltender for the Bruins as long as he is on their roster, and Joonas Korpisalo has the understudy job secure for the time being. But if something were to happen to either one, or both, of them, the Bruins have little to fall back on.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aside from Swayman and Korpisalo, Simon Zajicek is the only other goalie the Bruins currently have under contract in their organization. Even then, that\u2019s not saying much, as Zajicek has yet to play a single game in North America in his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boston\u2019s goaltending depth is so thin due to both Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi, who made up the tandem in net for AHL Providence last season, hitting free agency this summer, where they\u2019re likely looking to land somewhere that affords them the opportunity to play in the NHL.\u00a0<\/p>\n That almost certainly is the case for DiPietro. He was nothing short of outstanding last season, winning the Aldege \u201cBaz\u201d Bastien Award as the AHL\u2019s top goalie by posting a 26-8-7 record with a 2.05 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Bussi had a strong campaign as well, with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in 33 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fact that the Bruins signed Zajicek earlier this offseason likely means they don\u2019t plan on bringing back both DiPietro and Bussi, but they have to sign someone. Anyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Top Targets: Michael DiPietro, Brandon Bussi, Alex Lyon<\/p>\n FOLLOW ANDREW FANTUCCHIO ON\u00a0\ud835\udd4f: @A_FANTUCCHIO<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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