The preseason is done, and all eyes on the Boston Bruins and coach Marco Sturm will turn toward the 2026-27 season. That begins on Tuesday night at TD Garden against the New York Rangers.
When the Black and Gold were bounced from the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring by the Buffalo Sabres, a week after the elimination, president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney met with the media and acknowledged that more talent was needed. Saying it is one thing, going out and doing it is another.
Bruins get perfect offseason grade from Bleacher Report
With the regular season here, Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report dropped his offseason grades for each team, and his grade for the Black and Gold was spot-on: a "C".
"The concern is that the Bruins were a little too dependent on goalie Jeremy Swayman to bail out a poor defensive performance in 2025-26, and I'm not sure the additions of Will Borgen and Connor Clifton will remedy those issues,'' Gretz wrote.
Defense is an issue, and if you're a diehard Bruins fan, you would agree. There was a reason why Sweeney was. reportedly trying to make a move for Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers on July 1 and apparently had a deal in place before a Boston player reportedly refused to waive their no-movement clause to complete the deal. Again, that was reported.
Nurse would have been a nice addition to the backend; however, it doesn't feel like Will Borgen, acquired from the Rangers, and Connor Clifton, brought back a couple of years after leaving in free agency, are going to improve the group much or move the needle. Defense is still a major concern for the Black and Gold, despite last season's playoff berth.
As for the forwards, Sweeney struck moments before the Entry Draft in June by shipping a pair of first-round draft picks to the Utah Mammoth for JJ Peterka. That might end up being one of the better underrated moves this offseason if the former Sabres forward can find his offensive touch in Boston's top-six.
However, Sweeney has not addressed the need for a top-six center, instead running it back with the same unit that ended last season. Sturm needs to move on from Elias Lindholm as his top center with Pastrnak. The results are not going to be there, and either Pavel Zacha slides up there or Fraser Minten. Eventually, James Hagens might be the guy down the line to solve that need.
Overall, it was an underwhelming offseason for the Black and Gold, and making the playoffs for a second straight year is going to be very difficult given the makeup of the roster. There are several concerns with the roster, and the defense is right up there.
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