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

By Cameron Burgess

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 09: The Boston Bruins celebrate their 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game Six of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Enterprise Center on June 09, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 09: The Boston Bruins celebrate their 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game Six of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Enterprise Center on June 09, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH - MAY 06: Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40), Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63), Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) and Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) celebrate after winning the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinal playoff game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins on May 06, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – MAY 06: Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40), Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63), Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) and Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) celebrate after winning the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinal playoff game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Boston Bruins on May 06, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Roster is full of leaders

Despite that, the leadership provided from these players will still go on a long way in the dressing room for the next few seasons at least. However, a lot of younger players on this team just gained some very valuable playoff experience.

Not many young players are lucky enough to win the Stanley Cup in their first or second trip to the playoffs. The Boston Bruins learned this lesson the hard way during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs when they blew a 3-0 lead against the Philadelphia Flyers.

As devastating as it was at the time to lose that series, the Bruins regrouped to win the Stanley Cup the very next season. Playoff experience for guys like Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Jake DeBrusk will only help in the future.

The Bruins are bringing back most of the same roster from last season, but the Atlantic Division looks like it’ll be even better this season. Boston, along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs, were three of the best teams in the NHL last season, with all three finishing with at least 100 points while Tampa won the President’s Trophy with 128.

After this off-season, the Lightning look like they could be even better after signing Kevin Shattenkirk. The Florida Panthers should also be better this season after signing Sergei Bobrovsky to a 7-year deal.

Keep in mind that the Montreal Canadiens barely missed out on the playoffs last season, and that’s five teams in the Atlantic Division that will all be in the hunt for a playoff spot.

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