In a year where the Bruins had been written off as a crumbling golden age in the post-Marchand era, and with that the final remnants of the original 2011 Stanley Cup championship DNA, they somehow have found themselves battling with the best of the Eastern conference in what has been the most competitive the division has been in years.
Had this team been performing as they were last year, it's safe to say that they would find themselves in the basement of the Atlantic; however, as Bruins fans have witnessed thus far as we near 2026, the team is not ready to lie down and die as perhaps we'd previously thought they had the potential to do.
Let's break down what went right for this Bruins team so far this season.
Free Agents Have Risen to the Occasion
This past offseason, Bruins GM Don Sweeney made a series of veteran signings, which included the likes of former Bruin Sean Kuraly, Tanner Jeannot, Mikey Eyssimont, Viktor Arvidsson, and Alex Steeves, of the notable names.
While several fans may have originally doubted the logic behind these signings, desiring a youth movement instead which may have several promotions from Providence including Fabian Lysell, Dans Locmelis, Riley Duran, and Georgii Merkulov, it can be said that Sweeney and Sturm's vision of building a competitive team in favor of professional development for the aforementioned youngsters has paid off halfway through the season.
Sturm has found a working formula for his forward lines, particularly in the bottom six, where a majority of these signings currently reside in the lineup. The third line of Jeannot-Minten-Kastelic has proven tough to play against, the two large bodies of Jeannot and Kastelic providing consistent pressure along the boards on the forecheck and totaling valuable penalty killing minutes as well.
The emergence of Minten, who has put up 12 points in 35 games so far, including 6 goals, has ignited a once-polarizing signing in Jeannot, who is now on pace for his best season since he was with Nashville. Kastelic has also aided in complementing the line with his tough play as well.
As for the fourth line, Sean Kuraly has played as expected in the offseason, anchoring a responsible yet speedy fourth line down the middle, flanked by Eyssimont often on the right side. Eyssimont has seen time up and down the lineup since the start of the season; however, Sturm has found that his utility is best served by being rotated on the bottom six as a spark plug winger who can score or generate offense when needed. He is also on pace for his best professional season yet, with a predicted 34 points across a full slate.
Most intriguing of the group of offseason additions is the likes of Alex Steeves, who originally started the year in Providence before being called up to the big club. Since then, he has made sure to make the most of his opportunities, putting up an astounding 9 points in just 19 games, and even logging significant minutes in the top six upon his offensive explosion out of the gates. Even with the absence of Arvidsson, who has been injured and missed time, Steeves has been able to seamlessly fill the role as an original depth signing.
Morgan Geekie
If you told Bruins fans just a few offseasons ago that bottom-sixer and part-time healthy scratch Morgan Geekie would be atop the league leaderboard in 2025 in goals, I'd be surprised to find any who would believe you.
Geekie first emerged last season once he had been paired up with David Pastrnak on the top line, eventually reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career and his highest point totals by far. Following an extension this offseason with the hopes that he could replicate his success, Geekie has far exceeded what was once thought he was capable of, now sitting at 24 goals and 37 points in 35 games, and is expected to reach the 50-goal mark by season's end as one of the league's most surprising stories this year.
Geekie took the reins when Pastrnak had been injured this season, demonstrating that his ability is not merely a product of Pasta's excellent offensive abilities; he is a legitimate sniper in this league and a lethal force on the power play. In what should result in All-Star and possibly even Olympic recognition, Morgan Geekie has officially arrived.
Marco Sturm
Sturm has provided the locker room with a new mentality that was sorely needed after the pains and drama of last year, following the firing of Jim Montgomery. This year, the motto of "Piss and Vinegar" first mentioned in the offseason, has properly identified this iteration of the Bruins. This Bruins team, while it may be lacking top-end talent down the lineup, still maintains a tough-to-play-against play style and camaraderie that had been worn out this time last season.
With offseason additions envisioned to add a veteran boost to the bottom six, Sturm has found a proper way to maximize their skillset, resulting and helping to propel the team to a dogfight for the top spot in the division, and a top-flight power play once again.
Brutally honest, Sturm employs a no-nonsense style of coaching that leans away from being the ultimate player-friendly model that Montgomery was, and more to the tough-love approach, which may have been more akin to Bruce Cassidy before his departure, while still bringing unique aspects and fire as a first-time head coach in the NHL.
With a team lacking an official captain, Sturm has encouraged a leader-by-committee approach, blending both youngsters like Minten and established stars such as McAvoy and Pastrnak in a way that allows for leadership to flow throughout the lineup.
This team knows their coach and who they want to be. That much alone is a success for Sturm in his inaugural season as the Bruins head coach.
Jeremy Swayman Back to Form
Lastly, the anchor of the team, Jeremy Swayman. Swayman has seen a solid bounce-back year, now a year removed from what was a controversial offseason filled with distractions. Swayman is back over the .900 mark thus far this season, an improvement from where he ended up finishing last year at .892.
The numbers may not be eye-popping from an objective point of view; however, the eye test tells us that his confidence has been regained much more compared to how he looked last year. At 14-9-0, Swayman has been one of the key factors in this team's success, sometimes willing the team to wins when defense has been lacking. Even in an often-injured backend, Swayman has been able to hold up when called upon.