Training camp is here, and that means that the 2026-27 NHL season is less than two weeks from officially starting. The Boston Bruins drew an assignment on Opening Night, hosting the New York Rangers at TD Garden on Sept. 29.
After another underwhelming offseason that saw some changes but nothing that is going to make a huge difference, so far, in the upcoming season for the Black and Gold, there are a lot of questions surrounding Boston. Second-year coach Marco Sturm will be tasked with trying to get a second straight playoff performance this season in what is a much improved Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
Dom Luszczyszyn and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic released their NHL Contention Cycle, and for the Bruins, it was another harsh reality for general manager Don Sweeney and the front office, sticking them in where nobody wants to be, in No Man's Land.
Harsh reality settling in for Bruins fans ahead of the 2026-27 season
Are the Bruins a serious contender going into the upcoming season? Not really. Their core is Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, and Jeremy Swayman, and they are not getting any younger. Boston did add JJ Peterka this offseason, but lost forward Viktor Arvidsson to free agency to the Detroit Red Wings.
"The Bruins made the right choice when they committed to moving guys out so they could begin to prioritize the future a little more than they had for a long time. But in a tough Atlantic Division, that may not be far enough. They have to be careful not to tell themselves they've done enough because they've got a few good young pieces to work with now. It's hard to move on from a core as strong as Pastrňák, McAvoy and Swayman, but that discussion may not be over — and shouldn't be, in our view,'' The Athletic wrote.
You get the feeling that this is quietly a big season behind the scenes for Sweeney. A missed spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs might not be enough for him to survive another season in charge of the Black and Gold. However, the moves, or shall we say lack of moves, this offseason have not really set them up for more success than last season, which was 100 points and the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Boston is looking to inject some youth into the lineup with James Hagens and possibly Matthew Poitras, but at the time this article is being written, he remains unsigned. Is adding Peterak and defenseman Will Borgen through trades and bringing back defenseman Connor Clifton going to be enough to return to the postseason? Time will tell, but Boston being stuck in No Man's Land is a spot where nobody wants to be, ever.
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