When the dust settled on the 2025-26 season for the Boston Bruins following a first-round elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, many thought the season was a success.
When the season began, not many thought the Black and Gold would be a postseason team entering the first full year of a retool under first-year coach Marco Sturm. There were some players who played above expectations and some who didn't.
Now that the season is over and the Bruins brass have met with the media for their end-of-the-season media availability, it's time to look ahead to what will be a very interesting offseason. Here are three winners and two losers from the Bruins 2025-26 season.
Winner No. 1
Viktor Arvidsson
Who saw this season coming from forward Viktor Arvidsson? Acquired on July 1 from the Edmonton Oilers for a draft pick, he slotted right into the lineup for Sturm and formed one of the better first lines in the NHL this season. He finished with 25 goals and 29 assists in 69 regular-season games before finding the back of the net twice in the playoffs in four games against the Sabres, before he exited the series with an upper-body injury.
The timing couldn't have been better for Arvidsson, who is a free agent this summer. There is interest in returning to Boston, but a lot needs to be worked out, with money being the biggest sticking point (and maybe term). This is one contract that GM Don Sweeney can't get wrong. Worst-case scenario, he walks in free agency with someone else overpaying.
Loser No. 1
Mikey Eyssimont
Not sure what happened here, but signed to a two-year free agent deal over the summer, former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mikey Eyssimont found himself being a scratch during the season more than many would have liked, and in the playoffs.
He had eight goals and 18 points in 56 games, but man, this is a contract that will not age well next season. It wouldn't be surprising if there is another bottom-six overhaul this summer, and if so, maybe finding a way to move Eyssimont is an option? I mean, this is just another case of the Bruins blocking their younger players from the NHL with overpaying veterans who can't find themselves in the lineup consistently.
Winner No. 2
Casey Mittlestadt
The second key piece of Sturm's second line was Casey Mittlestadt. When he was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in March of 2025 at the trade deadline, there was some thought that he might have been moved last summer. He wasn't, and played a big role for the Bruins.
In 69 games, he tied his career-high of 15 goals, which he previously set with the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022-23 season. He was a surprising plus/minus with a plus-12. He is signed for one more year at $5.75 million, and one of the questions this summer will be surrounding his future and if Sweeney can move him and his hefty deal.
Loser No. 2
Henri Jokiharju
There were some eye-opening signings last summer, and right at the top is Sweeney re-signing Henri Jokiharju to a three-year deal with an AAV of $3 million. This isn't one that is going to age very well. Just how rough a season was it? He played in just 41 games with two goals and 15 points, but that was with a backend that sustained numerous injuries and even had Sweeney looking to trade for Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames in January. Yikes.
Winner No. 3
Pavel Zacha
Like Mittlestadt, Pavel Zacha was the subject of trade rumors last summer and even at the beginning of the season, when things went south quickly for the Black and Gold. However, Sweeney held onto him, and he was the final piece of the puzzle on the second line in Boston. He secured another career-high 30 goals with 35 assists in 78 games.
He was a key player for Sturm in all situations. Zacha has one year remaining on his current contract, and an extension isn't out of the question. It would be stunning if Sweeney traded him, as the most logical decision is that he gets extended before training camp.
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