Considering the disappointment of a season that was in Boston, a contingent of Bruins fans is probably saying there’s nobody worth going to bat for. And when you’re such a successful franchise year in and year out, I’m sympathizing with the Bruins faithful here - they deserved better.
But, sometimes seasons like these are blessings in disguise, and it could be nothing more than a signal to shift some assets around, so they can bounce back and build a winner in as little as one season.
Still, there are two players who I wouldn’t even bother trying to keep along for the ride. Two players who, while they had their moments, did nothing to make the Bruins any better. Instead, you can argue that they contributed to their overall dysfunction. So, who should general manager Don Sweeney do away with and why? These two names might surprise you.
Elias Lindholm should be on his way out
If my memory serves me right, I’ve been critical of Elias Lindholm since the Calgary Flames traded him to the Vancouver Canucks. Lindholm looked like he had a tough time figuring things out until the 2024 playoffs, so, when he came to Boston, I had some hope that we’d see vintage Lindholm.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out so well. Lindholm finished the year with a modest 47 points and 17 goals in 82 games. Yeah, that was tied for third on the team between him, Brad Marchand, and Pavel Zacha. But Marchand only lasted 61 games before Don Sweeney sent him to Sunrise so he could try and win a championship with the Florida Panthers, and Zacha got off to a slow start.
Lindholm was a physical player who got in front of shots and won some faceoffs. But the Bruins needed him to produce, and he fell short of that. Should Boston head into a retool, Sweeney needs to send Lindholm somewhere else. Ideally, he’d go to a team figuring to contend that needs a player who would fare better in the middle six.
Joonas Korpisalo sounds like he wants to go somewhere else
If there’s one player who’s getting a little outspoken, it’s Joonas Korpisalo, who’s made it clear he wants more time in the crease. While Korpisalo, at best, is an effective 1B goaltender on a good team, the Bruins should waste little time granting him a wish he’s implying here.
For one, Korpisalo was inconsistent this season, at best. There were times when I praised his play, but he never seemed able to string together more than a few good outings at a time. Yeah, his three shutouts in 24 starts jump out, but Korpisalo also logged just a 0.500 quality starts percentage and five ‘really bad starts,’ nearly a quarter of all of his starts, in other words.
Yeah, he outperformed Jeremy Swayman when you consider his 0.893 save percentage and 2.90 GAA. But Swayman’s the obvious future puzzle piece in the net, considering his monster contract that kept him in Boston. So, the Bruins shouldn’t be shy about moving Korpisalo to Columbus where he belongs.