When Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely sat in front of the media following their club's first-round playoff elimination at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, they acknowledged there needed to be talent added to the roster over the offseason.
It was an underwhelming offseason for the Black and Gold in terms of additions to the roster. Last season, the Black and Gold took advantage of some breaks with other clubs, mainly injuries, to sneak into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first Eastern Conference wild card with 100 points.
However, just because they made the playoffs last year doesn't mean that they can run it back and expect the same results. That's what Boston is doing. It isn't going to work, as most teams in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference got better. On Monday, if there were any questions about whether or not the Bruins were better than some teams in their division, it was answered with a "No" when it came to one heated rival.
Maple Leafs acquiring Kirill Marchenko is the latest Bruins nightmare scenario for the Bruins going into 2026-27 season
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on a 32 Thoughts podcast last week noted that he heard the Bruins made a trade offer to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Marchenko. No names were mentioned, but if Friedman is reporting it, it is almost certain to have happened.
"I heard Boston made an offer at one point,'' said Friedman. "I had some people say Vegas, I had some other people say they weren't sure it was Vegas. I have to think Seattle is around this. They've really been looking at trying to grab a top-end player and they could make this deal."
If there were trade discussions between Boston and Columbus about Marchenko, it is hard to imagine that Sweeney would meet the asking price, especially if it involved NHL-ready players; then it's hard to see Sweeney parting ways with them. That wasn't the case for the Maple Leafs, who acquired Marchenko, and he agreed to a six-year extension with an AAV of $12.5 million.
Kirill Marchenko has agreed to terms on a six year, $75 million contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs, carrying an average annual value of $12.5 million. #WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/n2ry3v7SUq
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) September 28, 2026
Anyway, Toronto, which is looking to have a quicker retool than the Black and Gold, wasn't afraid to part ways with their younger players to acquire Marchenko. They now have him, and with an extension. Just that move moves the Maple Leafs ahead of the Bruins in the pecking order in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Can you put the Maple Leafs up in the conversation with the. Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens in the division? Not yet, but they're certainly closer in the conversation than Boston is now.
If you have been paying attention, it was rather clear that Marchenko was going to move, and the Bruins, if we're being honest, were a long shot at acquiring him. However, there are a handful of landing spots that would have been bad ones for Sweeney and the Bruins, and Toronto is at the very top of that list.
This isn't about being a Stanley Cup contender; it's about being a team that just makes the playoffs. Right now, Toronto feels like a better bet to get into the postseason right now than Boston. That's just the reality of things.
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