The NHL will drop the 2026-27 NHL schedule on Wednesday and Thursday in what is going to be an 84-game season. The season will start at the end of September, and Boston will begin the season minus star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who is suspended for the first six games for his slash on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson in Game 6 of this past spring's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The moves have been few and far between so far this summer for the Black and Gold and general manager Don Sweeney. He did acquire right wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth and signed Connor Clifton in free agency to bring the right-shot blueliner back to Boston. With the moves being rather minor now, let's take a stab at what Marco Sturm's lineup could look like on his second Opening Night as Boston's head coach.
Predicting the Boston Bruins 2026-27 Opening Night roster
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
JJ Petrka | Pavel Zacha | David Pastrnak |
Casey MIttlestadt | Elias Lindholm | Morgan Geekie |
Marat Khusnutdinov | Fraser Minten | James Hagens |
Tanner Jeannot | Sean Kuraly | Mark Kastelic |
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Hampus Lindholm | Will Borgen |
Nikita Zadorov | Henri Jokiharju |
Jonathan Aspirot | Connor Clifton |
Goalies |
|---|
Jeremy Swayman |
Michael DiPietro |
So let's break this down. The forward grouping needs some additions from outside the organization. Matthew Poitras is an internal option right now, as is Alex Steeves. That could all change should Sweeney decide to swing a deal and get more help from the outside. That is the only way to make his forward grouping better and good enough to be a contender for a postseason berth in the reloaded Eastern Conference.
As for the defense, Mason Lohrei is likely going to be moved at some point. If not Lohrei, somebody has to go, as there are just too many defensemen to begin the season and training camp. They might regret not landing Darnell Nurse. A reported trade fell through on July 1 because a Boston player wouldn't waive their no-movement clause.
As for the goaltenders, it's pretty cut and dry. Sweeney moved out Joonas Korpisalo in a trade with the New York Rangers, which opens the door for Michael DiPietro to finally be an NHL backup. Boston clearly learned after the Brandon Bussi mistake in letting him walk last summer, and he eventually found his way to the Carolina Hurricanes and helped them capture the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins feel like a roster that is still a work in progress, and it would be in Sweeney's best interest to add to it before the season begins early in the fall.
Add us as a preferred source on Google