Coming off a 2025-26 season that saw the Boston Bruins make the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first Eastern Conference wild-card team that had 100 points, fans are hoping for a repeat performance in 2026-27.
Training camps begin next month across the NHL, and as far as the Bruins go, they could be in danger of being left out of the eight-team Eastern Conference playoff field next spring. Why that could be a possibility and why it couldn't is certainly something that we will dive into.
Bruins get bad news regarding 2026-27 and beyond in the Atlantic Division
Last season, the Atlantic Division was deep, but not with all the teams that fans might have expected. The two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers were hit hard by injuries, while the Toronto Maple Leafs had a down season that not many saw coming. The Detroit Red Wings were a team that looked like a playoff team for two thirds of the season before they fell apart the final third of the season.
So what happened after the season ended? The Panthers got better by acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, while everyone else either got better or stayed the same, like the Bruins. In terms of talent, that isn't good news. What is even worse is what Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report wrote. He power-ranked the four divisions going into the upcoming season nd he ranked the Atlantic Division first.
"OK, we'll say it: Not only will more than one team from the Atlantic amass more than 100 points across 84 games from September to April, but we'll go a step further and say at least one Atlantic team (if not more) will hoist a Cup in the next few seasons,'' wrote Richardson. "And it's certainly no stretch to say it'll be next spring."
That's not a promising outlook for the Black and Gold. There are eight playoff spots in the East, but three are guaranteed to the Metropolitan Division. After that, it's hard to envision the Atlantic Division getting five spots like they did last season. The Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders have all gotten better, and the Bruins really haven't.
The NHL is going to have an 84-game schedule this season, and there are going to be more points up for grabs. There is no doubt that the Atlantic Division got better, but whether or not the Black and Gold will remain a playoff team remains to be seen. We'll likely know the answer to that early in the season.
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