We are over two weeks removed from the Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season coming to an end before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was a long and frustrating season for the Black and Gold that saw a coaching change, multiple key injuries and an offense that was non-existent for a good part of the year aside from Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak.
Now the front office is facing a big and franchise-altering change-offseason, and if things don’t turn around, then jobs could be on the line. This feels like a make-or-break summer for general manager Don Sweeney in terms of hiring his next head coach and rebuilding a roster to make the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here are three things that we got wrong about the Bruins this season.
The Bruins were a playoff team
Going into the season, everyone thought that the Bruins were a playoff team. Me included. After the slow start and firing Jim Montgomery in November, they were safely in an Eastern Conference postseason berth. Then the New Year came, and everything fell apart. They slowly slid down the standings in the East and eventually finished tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the bottom spot.
Several reasons for their slide factor into the last place finish, injuries, poor special teams, becoming sellers at the trade deadline, which was the right call, you name it, it happened. It’s time to wipe the slate clean and look forward to next season.
Jeremy Swayman was going to slide right in and return to form after missing the preseason
What a drama Jeremy Swayman’s contract negotiations became. They dragged and dragged and dragged out through the off-season and training camp. It was settled as the Bruins were ready to jump on a plane to South Florida for the season opener against the Florida Panthers.
When Swayman actually got between the pipes, it was a nightmare of a season for Swayman after inking a deal that carried an AVV of $8.25 million. His numbers were bad, and when the Bruins needed a save in multiple games, he struggled to provide it. Like the whole organization, Swayman needs to wipe the slate clean this summer and come back for a full camp ready to go and look to rebound next season. For one season, his new contract is tough to swallow.
Elias Lindholm was going to solve the center issues the Bruins were facing
A lot of people thought that Elias Lindholm was going to solve the Bruins' top-six problems, and that was far from the case. If you thought Swayman’s contract is an overpay, just look at Lindholm’s AAV of $7.75 million. If 2025-26 is the same as this season, then watch out.
Lindholm suffered a back injury in training camp and you have to think it bothered him all season long. Back injuries in any sport are not good, never mind hockey. Down the stretch he played well between Pastrnak and Geekie and it gives hopes for next season, assuming Geekie is re-signed, that the Bruins might have something there in terms of a productive line.