The Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney are facing a pivotal 2025 offseason for a number of reasons. In the end, this is an offseason that Sweeney needs to get right in terms of rebuilding the roster to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season, whether it's through the draft, free agency, or trades.
There are players that come and there are players that go every year over the summer, and this season won't be any different. Just what roster decisions are going to be made remains to be seen, but here are three offseason predictions for the Bruins and Sweeney.
1. Bruins trade Joonas Korpisalo
I know, this really isn't going to break any news out there, but what should be one of the no-brainer moves this offseason is trading goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Acquired from the Ottawa Senators last June as part of the Linus Ullmark trade, the veteran netminder was outspoken as the season went along about how little he played, and his agent had a message to Sweeney and the front office: play him or trade him.
You have to think that they are leaning toward the latter, and I'll say it again: how did he expect to play after the Bruins shelled out a huge contract to Jeremy Swayman? Paying Korpisalo $3 million is a bit much for a backup goalie who will play much more next season than he did this past season. Dumping his salary and going with either Michael DiPietro or Brandon Bussi as Swayman's backup next season is the route to go.
2. Bruins trade one young forward
When push comes to shove, Sweeney might have to address a need through a trade this summer for a top center. If that ends up being the case, if nobody makes it to free agency, then addressing that through a trade becomes a reality, and if so, expect Sweeney to have to part ways with one of his young, promising forwards.
Those two choices would be Matthew Poitras or Fabian Lysell. Poitras has shown flashes of being a solid two-way NHL center, but injuries have hampered his time and forced him to the minors more than he or the club would like. It feels like the Bruins have been waiting longer than they would have hoped for Lysell to make an impact in the NHL, but he just hasn't been able to get there.
Both players would absiuetly draw interest from other NHL clubs as young promising players as the Vancouver Canucks have been known to like Lysell. Could Sweeney get Elias Pettersson in a deal that includes Lysell and other pieces?
3. Bruins and Sweeney overpay for Brock Boeser
It feels like we are going down the hole of an offseason where Sweeney makes a panic-free agent overpay like he did last season with Elias Lindholm. If it was to happen agains this summer, it feels like it would happen with another former Canuck, Brock Boeser.
Yes, a center is top priority, but the Bruins badly need a goal-scoring wing and they have been linked to Boeser before. This season he had 24 goals for Vancouver and it sounds like his time there is up. He should command around $8-9 million and there is a very clear path to seeing Sweeney shell out that money for him as a panic move with his job potentially on the line. It would be such a Sweeney move, wouldn't it?