Going into the season, one thing is clear, if the Boston Bruins are going to have success of any kind this year, they are going to need a lot of players to step up. That includes some of the team's leaders, some of whom need a bounce-back season.
So far through four games this year, that has been the case as the Black and Gold are 3-1-0 as they head west for a three-game road trip. First-year coach Marco Sturm will be relying on the best players and veterans, and three of them have been tabbed as Top 100 players in the NHL for the 2025-26 season.
3 Bruins named Top 100 players in the NHL for the 2025-26 season
When it comes to the Bruins' top three players this year, it's a no-brainer when the first three names come to your head. ESPN's panel of writers and reporters named the Top 100 players in the NHL for this season, and three Boston players made the list.
David Pastrnak was 11th, Charlie McAvoy was 58th, and Jeremy Swayman made the cut at No. 95. Pastrnak was 11th last season, while McAvoy slipped 17 spots from 41. Swayman fell big time from 47th last season to 95th this season.
As for the players ahead of Pastrnak, there are no real surprises with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers coming in at No. 1 and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar at No. 2.
As for the Bruins who made the list, Pastrnak has made an impact early in the season, scoring goals, making some nifty passes to set up teammates, and he even made a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning late in Monday's game that prevented an empty-net goal.
Swayman has been good in his first two starts, a pair of wins, and having McAvoy healthy this year after losing him in the 4 Nations Face-Off last to a season-ending injury will be big. It's not surprising that any one of the three is a Top 100 player in the NHL.