Authored By: Adrian Rosati

Photo Credits: Lisa Gansky  from wikimediacommons.org. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

General Manager Don Sweeney has focused this offseason on adding around the edges while making a few bold moves to position this team for another successful year.

Key Moves Include:

Additions:

• F J.J. Peterka — acquired from the Mammoth
• D Will Borgen — acquired from the Rangers
• D Connor Clifton — signed via free agency

Subtractions:

• F Viktor Arvidsson — departed via free agency
• G Joonas Korpisalo — traded to the Rangers

When you look through the notable moves, it is not an extensive list. Their only addition in free agency was Connor Clifton, who is currently projected to be in the press box, according to PuckPedia.com, providing depth in the event of injuries.

Adding to an already decent right side, we know Charlie McAvoy has dealt with some significant injury history. Being able to slide a serviceable right-handed defenseman into the third pairing will be important for Boston. Sure, they could call up players from Providence, but the intangibles of having a veteran right-shot defenseman available speak volumes. They are also familiar with Clifton, who played 5-years in Boston before one-year stints in Buffalo, and Pittsburg.

Additionally, the Bruins acquired Will Borgen from the Rangers via trade. He slots in as their second-pair right defenseman alongside Hampus Lindholm. Borgen missed seven games last season due to injury, which is the biggest concern for Bruins fans. He also missed significant time during the 2024-25 season and has not returned to the 25–30-point pace he previously established.

For the Rangers, who needed a defenseman capable of contributing more offensively, that may have been one reason to move on from Borgen. From a purely defensive standpoint, however, this looks like a perfect fit in Boston. The Bruins will have four years of team control, which is huge as they continue to build around their young forwards.

Goaltending Depth Could Be a Concern

In net, trading away Joonas Korpisalo thins out the Bruins’ goaltending depth, with Michael DiPietro currently projected to serve as the backup.

Korpisalo posted a below-average .894 save percentage last season, which the Bruins clearly felt was insufficient for their backup position. DiPietro, meanwhile, posted a 1.91 GAA and a .930 save percentage in the AHL with Providence last year.

However, success in the AHL does not necessarily translate directly to NHL success. DiPietro has only appeared in parts of four NHL games, including two essentially full games that did not go particularly well. The Bruins are hoping he can grow into the position this season while receiving a significant share of the opportunities.

The J.J. Peterka Trade

J.J. Peterka was arguably the surprise of the offseason after being traded following just the first year of a five-year contract.

His season last year represented a bit of a regression from his previous campaign in Buffalo, as he recorded 47 points compared to the 68 points he produced the year before, while also playing five fewer games.

Peterka is projected to play first-line minutes in Boston alongside Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak. I expect a bounce-back season from Peterka, who is known as a balanced scorer and playmaker.

Pastrnak recorded 71 assists last season. For comparison, that was more than his linemates Cooley and Guenther combined for, with the two Mammoth forwards recording 19 and 33 assists, respectively. That said, the comparison is not entirely fair. Guenther broke out as a scorer last season, and Pastrnak brings a level of playmaking that is difficult to compare to.

A Sneak Peek Into the Bruins’ First 10

The Bruins have their home opener on opening night, September 29 at 8 p.m. ET against the Rangers.

Along with their home opener, there are four other games that look very winnable on paper: the Jets, Senators, Flyers, and Kings. Arguably, they could beat the Ducks as well, but with that game being on the road, I think Anaheim has a good opportunity to come away with the win.

Of course, anything can happen.

A win against the Mammoth would bring Boston to six wins in its first 10 games. Another key for the Bruins is that Ottawa is the only divisional opponent on their schedule during those first 10 games.

The Atlantic Division is as stacked as ever, so avoiding a gauntlet of divisional opponents early in the season could help Boston build some momentum before the schedule gets tougher.

Prediction

My prediction is that the Bruins will finish fourth in the Atlantic Division next season.

I expect a relatively similar position to last year, with Boston finishing within roughly two or three wins of its previous total. This is partially due to the lack of major moves made by management, combined with the teams around them improving.

I expect one of Tampa Bay, Buffalo, or Montreal to regress — likely Buffalo — while Florida returns to its previous regular-season form and takes advantage of one of those teams falling back.

Boston could certainly be the odd team out of the playoff picture, but I would not count on it.

Overall, I expect the Bruins to remain competitive, but I don’t see enough offseason improvement to push them much higher in what should once again be an extremely competitive Atlantic Division.