Predicting Boston Bruins 2024-25 Opening Night Roster

What will the Bruins lineup look like in one week against the Florida Panthers?

May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) and defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) react with defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) after Carlos goal during the first period in game four of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) and defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) react with defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) after Carlos goal during the first period in game four of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

File this under, “It’s hard to believe”, but we are one week away from the Boston Bruins opening the 2024-25 season against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on the road. Yes, that’s right, the Bruins get to watch the team that has eliminated them from the postseason the last two seasons, raise their banner.

Monday, Boston’s management met with the media, and Joonas Korpisalo, acquired from the Ottawa Senators as part of the Linus Ullmark trade, will begin the season as their No. 1 goalie. Prospect Brandon Bussi will likely back him up with Jeremy Swayman still without a contract. Now that we are a week away from the beginning of the regular season, here is a prediction for the Black and Gold’s opening night roster.

Predicting Bruins Opening Night Roster

Sunday the Bruins made a big round of cuts down to the Providence Bruins in the AHL with Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov headlining the list. They both could be back up at some point, but with the way things stand now, here is a shot at predicting the roster for next Tuesday night.

Bruins Forwards

Left Wing

Center

Right Wing

Pavel Zacha

Elias Lindholm

David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand

Charlie Coyle

Matthew Poitras

Trent Frederic

Morgan Geekie

Justin Brazeau

Max Jones

John Beecher

Mark Kastelic

Bruins Defensemen

Left Defense

Right Defense

Nikita Zadorov

Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm

Brandon Carlo

Mason Lohrei

Andrew Peeke

Bruins Goalies

Netminder

Joonas Korpisalo, Brandon Bussi

You might say that this is a pretty straightforward roster, but it's hard to see it going another way. Expect Tyler Johnson to be signed to a contract eventually as it seems that the coaching staff has liked what he has brought. Sending Lysell and Merkulov to Providence on Sunday makes that seem like a real possibility.

Defensively, Parker Wortherspoon is not a bad option as a seventh defenseman, but the gut feeling is the Bruins like what they have seen from Lohrei and Peeke. As far as goaltending goes, it doesn't sound or look like we'll see Jeremy Swayman any time soon and you have to wonder what his future in Boston is. The Bruins better hope a Korpisalo/Bussi duo is good enough or there will be a lot of questions for them to answer.

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