The Boston Bruins are back at Warrior Ice Arena for practices as they get ready to resume their 2025-26 season. They will begin the second half four points up on the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets for the the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Boston will host Columbus on Thursday night at the TD Garden. It will be a game where the Bruins will be playing with their two goalies remaining in Italy until the weekend, along with defensemen Henri Jokiharju and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins will be banking on some other players to continue having the seasons they are and prove the pre-break success wasn't a fluke. Here are three Bruins with a lot to prove beginning Thursday night against the Blue Jackets.
Jeremy Swayman
If there was one player who needed a bounce-back season, it was Jeremy Swayman. After a 2024-25 season that started with a training camp holdout, which turned into a frustrating season where his numbers were not close to what many expected after he signed his new deal. This has been a different story.
In 38 games this season, Swayman is 22-12-3 with a 2.92 goals against average and a .903 save percentage with one shutout. Last year, he finished with a 3.11 GAA and a .892 SV%. If the Bruins are going to remain in a postseason spot and get in, they'll need Swayman to pick up where he left off before the break.
Fraser Minten
Has there been a player who has surprised more than Fraser Minten? It can't be stated enough how badly Don Sweeney fleeced the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline last year. Minten is turning into a key future piece of Boston's lineup.
In 57 games, the Maple Leafs second round pick in the 2022 Entry Draft has 14 goals and 15 assists, and had a blistering January. He has a plus/minus of plus-18, and now the question becomes, can he pick up where he left off at the break? Like Swayman, it is vital that Minten does as well.
Morgan Geekie
I know, this seems like an easy one, but where would the Bruins be this season without Morgan Geekie? Just when you thought that he was done setting career highs for goals, think again. He followed up his 33-goal campaign last year and is sitting on 32 at the break. Unless an injury occurs, a new career-high is well within reach.
Boston will need him to pick up where he left off before the break. David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm are coming back from the Olympics, and who knows what they will have in their legs when the season resumes. A 40-plus campaign will be needed from Geekie for the Bruins to make the playoffs.