The Boston Bruins had a tough go at it for the 2024-25 season. Their record was so bad that it is the worst they have had since the 2006-07 season.
With a record of 33-39-10 for 76 points, they were tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia.
This organization faces challenges, questions, and changes this upcoming offseason. After all 82 games were played this season, many of which were disappointing, the head-scratching begins.
What went wrong?
On the stat sheet, it is pretty evident what went wrong with the Bruins. Outside of David Pastrňák, who had a respectable 106-point season, the rest of the roster failed to produce enough. Of course, the loss of star defenseman Charlie McAvoy after the 4 Nations Face-Off did not help matters either. Still, several others had down years from their 2023-24 performance, in which this team made it to the second round of the playoffs.
Overall, having the 28th most goals scored in the NHL with 214 and letting up the 25th most goals with 265 will not win hockey games. The follow-up to the 100th anniversary of this “original six” club was nothing more than a failure.
Where do they go from here?
From here, there are a couple of directions that the Bruins can go. Obviously, after such an abysmal season, the only way to go from here is up and hopefully back into the Stanley Cup playoff fold.
The Bruins, sellers at the trade deadline, could try making more moves before the NHL Entry Draft in June. They have their lottery selection in the first round, giving them the fourth-best odds of landing the first overall pick at 9.5%, according to tankathon.com. Additionally, they have two second-round picks this year at their disposal.
Due to their current roster, the likelihood of the Bruins turning on a dime this offseason, mirroring that of the Washington Capitals this season, is relatively high. These players just had a down season and are not a bad group.
With Brad Marchand being traded to Florida at the trade deadline, the next question is leadership. Who steps in to take over the “C”? Should it be Pastrňák, or does this franchise revert to having a superstar defenseman as their leader in McAvoy?
This offseason is going to be a long one for the Bruins faithful. But, even after a seriously bad run this season, next season still shows some prospect of hope.