There is no sugarcoating it - the Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season was a nightmare. After a busy 2024 off-season, the expectation was that the Bruins would remain a playoff team. However, they were far from it in 2024-25, as they finished the year with a 33-39-10 record and tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference.
After a campaign like this, there are fans naturally worried about the Bruins having another bad season in 2025-26. While there are certainly still concerns about their current roster, the possibility of them turning things back around and getting into the playoffs should not be ruled out.
Because of this, let's now go over five ways that the Bruins could get themselves back into the post-season next year.
If the Bruins hope to have a better 2025-26 season, they will need their top players to stay healthy. The Bruins' injury trouble hit them hard this past season, as top blueliners Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm both missed a significant amount of time. This did not do the Bruins any favors.
The Bruins will once again have a tough time if top players like McAvoy, Lindholm, David Pastrnak, and Morgan Geekie end up needing to miss time due to injuries. As a result, the Bruins will certainly be hoping that they have more luck when it comes to the injury bug next season.
The Bruins undoubtedly need Swayman to be much better for them if they hope to make the playoffs next year. The 26-year-old's immense struggles last season played a big role in Boston's disappointing season, as he had a 22-29-7 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals-against average. It was certainly surprising to see Swayman struggle like this, as he was excellent for the Bruins in each of his previous four seasons.
If Swayman gets back to his star form, it would help the Bruins' chances of being a playoff team tremendously. The 2017 fourth-round pick has shown in the past that he can be a very impactful goaltender, and it will be intriguing to see if he gets things back on track next season for them from here.
The Bruins did not necessarily make a big splash this off-season, but they did make multiple smaller moves. The Bruins have several new players on their roster heading into next season, as they brought in Tanner Jeannot, Viktor Arvidsson, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, and Jordan Harris this summer.
If the Bruins hope to have more success next season, they will need their new guys to make a difference. When taking a look at the Bruins' roster, Arvidsson has a real chance of playing in their top six, while Kuraly, Jeannot, and Eyssimont should be in their bottom six. Thus, they will be looking for them to be good fits and provide a boost to the Bruins' offense that needs serious help.
Morgan Geekie had an awesome 2024-25 season with the Bruins and emerged as an incredibly important part of their group because of it. In 77 games on the year, he set new career highs with 33 goals, 24 assists, and 57 points. He only improved as the season rolled on, too, and earned a six-year, $33 million contract from the Bruins this off-season because of it.
If the Bruins hope to improve their chances of being a playoff team next year, they will need Geekie to continue to make a big impact offensively and prove that this past season was not a fluke. With the way he looked as this past season continued, it is hard not to feel optimism about No. 39 heading into 2025-26.
The Bruins certainly have some prospects to keep an eye on next season, like Fraser Minten, Matthew Poitras, Fabian Lysell, Dans Locmelis, and Georgii Merkulov. If a few of their prospects break out next season and become impactful NHL players, it would certainly improve the Bruins' chances of getting back into the playoffs.
When looking at the Bruins' prospect pool, Minten and Poitras are likely the team's biggest breakout candidates for next season. However, they also have other promising youngsters who could take that next step for the Original Six club.
