Opening Night is upon us. The Boston Bruins start the 2026-27 season at home at TD Garden against the New York Rangers at 8 p.m. Tuesday. They look to build on the momentum from last season and officially try to get past the dreaded first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that has plagued them the last two trips they have taken.
The Bruins opted to carry 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goalies to make their official main roster. The team looks similar to last season, with a few new additions and some hungry new faces. Let's meet the roster.
Forwards
The Forwards of the 2026 Bruins are Mikey Eyssimont, Morgan Geekie, James Hagens, Tanner Jeannot, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, Sean Kuraly, Elias Lindholm, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, David Pastrnak, JJ Peterka, and Pavel Zacha. The team has also designated forward Matt Poitrason as injured reserve.
The only truly new face among the forwards is Peterka, whom the Bruins acquired from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. Hagens played just five games with the Bruins last season: the last two of the regular season and the three games against the Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs.
Geekie looks to continue the momentum he had after his career-high 39 goals. Pastrnak dons the C for the Bruins this season, after the team chose just to have alternative captains last season. Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm look to prove themselves this season as they try to get out of the hot seat and prove they are worth their price tag. Lindholm looks to up his production from last season; however, the youth of the team is going to be right on their tail.
Poitras will have to wait to prove what he has to offer as he starts the season on the Injured Non-Roster list, as he heals from a lower-body injury suffered during a practice session during training camp.
Defenseman
The defensemen of the 2026 Bruins are Jonathan Aspirot, Will Borgen, Frederic Brunet, Connor Clifton, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, and Nikita Zadorov.
The defense brings back a few familiar faces as well as some new ones. Borgen was acquired from the New York Rangers for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round conditional pick in the NHL draft. The Bruins also brought back Connor Clifton, who donned the Black and Gold back in 2022 before joining the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The team will not see Charlie McAvoy for the first six games of the season, as he serves his six-game suspension for the slash he committed on Zach Benson during the playoffs. That leaves the defense in the hands of Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov for the first six games.
Goaltenders
The goalies of the 2026 Bruins are Michael DiPietro and Jeremy Swayman.
The call-up was seen coming from a mile away. It was even more solid when the Bruins traded Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers this offseason. It is DiPietro's time to shine in the major leagues. Unfortunately, he will be serving as backup to Swayman, but after the last two seasons he has put under his belt in the American Hockey League, it is about time that he gets the shot in the majors.
Potential Lineup
Here is what the opening night lineup may look like.
Forwards:
Peterka - Lindholm - Pastrnak
Mittelstadt - Zacha - Geekie
Hagens - Minten - Khustnutdinov
Jeannot - Kuraly - Kastelic
Defense:
Lindholm - Borgen
Zadorov - Clifton
Aspirot - Loheri
Goaltenders:
Swayman
DiPietro
Brunet could also be placed in the third pairing for the defense. Eyssimont may be used more on the power play or penalty kill and could slot in on the third or fourth line; it will be interesting to see the true lineup for the first game of the season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google