Boston Bruins: Have they improved enough to still be a legitimate contender?

The Boston Bruins are coming off a season in which they finished with 107 points and rode a hot streak all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

With most of the lineup returning again this season, are this year’s Boston Bruins a serious threat to go on another deep playoff run?

It’s safe to say that last season didn’t end the way that many had hoped. Getting so close to the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup but coming out on the losing side of things is disappointing, but the Boston Bruins certainly seem to be capable of getting back there once again.

Of course, the playoffs are always full of surprises, and we’ve seen that sometimes a long playoff run can hurt a team the following season. With many of the core players on this team now another year older, have the Boston Bruins missed their window to compete or do they still have a real shot at getting back to the Stanley Cup Final?

As I mentioned, many of the core players are now a little bit older. Patrice Bergeron is 34, David Krejci is 33, Tuukka Rask is 32, and Brad Marchand is 31. And of course, Zdeno Chara is now 42 years old.

There is an argument to be made that Bergeron has only gotten better with age, and a lot of that has to do with Marchand and fellow linemate David Pastrnak. The trio has been one of the best lines in the NHL over the past few seasons, but there is the fear that age will catch up sooner rather than later.

Trade deadline could be dicey

One issue the Boston Bruins might face later on in the season is their ability to make a deal at the trade deadline. According to CapFriendly, the Bruins currently have just over $1.1 million in cap space heading into the season. While they no longer have to worry about signing any restricted free-agents, they will have to worry about how they can improve mid-season.

The biggest issue the team is facing right now is what to do with David Backes and his $6 million salary. Backes’ tenure in Boston can only be described as disappointing.

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The 35-year-old forward has recorded just 91 points in 201 regular season games with the Bruins, including just 20 points in 70 games last season.

There was fear throughout the offseason that his cap hit would prevent the Boston Bruins from being able to re-sign McAvoy and Carlo, but general manager Don Sweeney managed to avoid that problem. Now the focus shifts towards any mid-season trades.

Last year the Bruins brought in Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson at the trade deadline and were arguably the best players for Boston throughout the playoffs. Now, the Bruins will have a much tougher time finding the money to bring in help at the trade deadline, unless they find a way to move Backes without sacrificing too much to sweeten the deal.

That being said, Boston has managed to build a strong core, featuring a group of talented veterans, young superstars and important role players. They don’t necessarily need to acquire the biggest names available mid-season, they just need to find a player who they believe to be the missing piece.

Overall, yes, the Boston Bruins should once again be one of the top teams in the NHL and have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. However, their path to reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second season in a row will likely be much more difficult than it was the first time around.