Two Changes The Bruins Must Make This Off-Season To Avoid Another Disaster In 2025-26

Some of the most important things for success in hockey are the foundations of the sport itself. This last season the Bruins dropped dramatically low in different areas as opposed to their much better standings the year before. The team slipped and has come to realize they need to work on a few things for this next season.

Goal Scoring

Goal scoring is one of the most important things in any sports franchise, as it can determine different things, most importantly, league standings. After the 2023-24 season, the Bruins were ranked 13th overall. This past season, we placed 28th. Having some of our major players traded could have been a mistake, as it left us with David Pastrnak as our main goal scorer this season, having a total of 43 goals.

Also higher up in points for goal scoring were past Bruins Captain, Brad Marchand, and center, Morgan Geekie. While Geekie stepped up quite a bit this season, along with a few others, no one ended up comparing to Pastrnak. Speed and accuracy play right along into goal scoring, and that is something big that needs to be worked on this off-season.

Another aspect that plays along with speed and accuracy crucial to scoring is puck handling. "Other teams continuously apply pressure on us because the boys turn the puck over due to our poor puck handling, and the cycle continues. Pressure us mercilessly up and down the ice because we will inevitably turn the puck over." Basic needs for playing the game need to be worked on. The Bruins can't continue to hope that their goalie will have a good game, or that the other team will have a bad game: Skill sets have to be improved on if the Bruins hope to be in the standings as they once were.

Goaltending

Goaltending falls into the hands of two groups: Defense and goalies. While the defense has stepped up their game this season, with the addition of more aggressive players, it's believed that the team will have a stronger presence on the ice. However, the Bruins and fanbase's focus has been on their newly contracted main goalie, Jeremy Swayman. Through his career with the team, Swayman's save percentage has landed at .900% or over every year except this season, which was .892%. Swayman has proved he can be a great goalie, he just needs to find his way back up to the top like he once was.

Hopefully, the Bruins are able to have a better season and are able to get us back into the playoffs next year!