The Boston Bruins are sitting on top of the Atlantic Division standings at 8-2-1 through their first 11 games. Surprisingly, they are where they are and lead the NHL with a plus/minus of plus-20 in terms of goal differential.
If there was a team that needed a good start to the season, it was the Black and Gold. One year after being a surprise team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the rest of the Eastern Conference got better, and the path to the postseason isn't going to be easy. When Boston woke up on Friday morning, the path was a tough one. Before they sat down to eat lunch, it became an even more difficult one.
Bruins' path to the playoffs got more difficult on Friday
For months, there was speculation about where Winnipeg Jets three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck would go after he requested a trade. There were a handful of teams that were linked to him, a lot of them in the Eastern Conference. That is exactly where he ended up.
The New Jersey Devils swung a blockbuster deal to acquire Hellebuyck from the Jets. Going back to Winnipeg are forwards Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, and Alexander Command, along with goalie Nico Daws. Also going to the Jets are a seventh-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-round selection in 2029.
Now, how does this affect the Black and Gold? Well, it adds a Vezina Trophy-winning netminder to the Eastern Conference, joining a long list of them. It instantly makes the Devils better between the pipes, an area they needed to get better at. They did.
New Jersey is not only going to be a factor in the Metropolitan Division race now, but also in the Eastern Conference when it comes to the two wild-card spots. Last season, the Atlantic Division got five of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference field. That likely won't be the case this season.
The Atlantic Division is arguably the best in the NHL this season, top to bottom. There are going to be some good teams that will be on the outside looking in when the postseason begins in the spring. The question for Boston is: how sustainable is their start? Can they stay above the cut line all season long? Teams are going to runs and teams are going to struggle. The latter has little wiggle room for each team in the Eastern Conference, which now includes Hellebuyck.
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