The Boston Bruins have had a good start to the 2026-27 season, going 4-2-0 through the first six games. The usual suspects have been producing to help them get there. Pastrnak, now the captain of the Bruins, leads the team with 7 points, while newcomers Fraser Minten and JJ Peterka have each scored twice. Things are also looking good for rookie James Hagens, who has four points in six games so far. The Bruins find themselves in third place in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins even moved up in the power rankings this week, up one spot to 20th. But how long can this last? Have the Bruins finally sorted things out, or are they stuck between rebuild and Cup contenders?
The past few seasons haven't gotten to the contention window
The Bruins have been consistent in their mid-level finishes in the last few seasons. In the last five years, the Bruins have made the playoffs four times. Each time, they've lost in the first or second round. In the 2024-25 season, they didn't make the playoffs. Overall, since the Bruins lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19, they haven't really looked like a true contender.
However, the team hasn't been bad enough during that time to really work through a rebuild. The highest they've drafted since 2018 was seventh overall, picking James Hagens in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
While it certainly is nice for a team to make the playoffs each season, the Bruins are still missing key pieces to become a solid Cup-contending team.
The 2026-27 season doesn't change the narrative
Hopes were not super high coming into the 2026-27 season for the Boston Bruins. The Athletic ranked the Bruins 25th out of 32 teams, ranking them last in the Atlantic Division. They described the team as being carried by its big three: Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Swayman, but said the rest of the team isn't strong enough to overcome its flaws.
They write, "If the mark of a successful season is making the playoffs or landing a franchise cornerstone from the draft, no team has it worse. Boston's season ends with neither 57 percent of the time."
If nothing else shows that the Bruins are stuck between rebuild and contention, that stat definitely does.
Causeway Crowd has predicted that the Bruins' season won't be as bad as The Athletic says. One author predicted that the Bruins will make the playoffs, though is unsure how far they'll go. Another said that the Bruins have been unpredictable before and could be a good surprise this season.
The Bruins also brought in new pieces this off-season to address some of last season's issues. JJ Peterka and Fraser Minten are good mid-six players who can support offensively. It's yet to be seen how long they can keep up the scoring pace they are on.
The rest of the forward group is stretched a little bit, with Zacha and Geekie potentially reaching their peaks last season. Without McAvoy, the defensive core is lacking. Swayman, who could very well have a Vezina-caliber season, can only do so much.
And yet, they still won't be worse than many teams in the West, including the Flames or Canucks, who will likely be first in line when it comes to top draft picks this off-season. Without a couple of big signings to push the Bruins into full contender status, or a disastrous season where they find themselves in the bottom of the league, they'll continue to be stuck in limbo between contender and rebuild.
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