The aura of invincibility around the Boston Bruins has finally faded. After years of incredibly consistent results, the Bruins have finally conceded to some degree of rebuilding—the Brad Marchand trade being the biggest signal of them all.

Even headed into 2024–25, this was hardly the plan—the Bruins spent big on free agent additions Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Still, fading from the wild card race the Bruins took drastic action at the trade deadline, kickstarting a look to the future.

Let’s take a closer look at the Bruins work so far, and how they might navigate their way back into Stanley Cup contention. 

Bruins still around in the new era

Despite their middling results this season, the Bruins do have a good deal to work with on their roster. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy feature as stars—unquestionably among the best at their position league-wide and firmly in their primes. Jeremy Swayman and Hampus Lindholm are elite as well, adding a good deal of stability to the group. 

The foundation of a strong blueline, a clear starting goalie, and power play focal point make it hard to believe that the Bruins are anywhere close to a full scale, scorched-earth type of rebuild. Instead, a retool might be a more accurate description of the current trajectory with these players on the roster, for those interested in semantics. 

The Bruins do have some mid level players who may or may not factor into future plans. The likes of Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov are joined by Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie to fill out a useful middle class. The Bruins should not be looking to pay to offload these contracts, yet if the team sells again in future deadlines these players could fetch a tidy return. 

Prior to the deadline, the Bruins prospect pool was usually ranked near the bottom of the league. Fabian Lysell and Dean Letourneau are interesting options, but hardly fill out a robust system on their own. On the other hand, the Bruins have some young NHLers that should be considered a part of the future. Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras, and John Beecher will have the chance to play their way into bigger roles in the lineup.

New pieces in Boston

Ultimately, the Bruins will have to reinvigorate their roster with younger players who can reinforce and upgrade this group. The most work is required at forward, though luckily forwards seem to peak earlier than other positions. On the other hand, elite centres can be extremely difficult to find, especially outside of the draft lottery. 

However, the Bruins were able to add some young players to their roster.

Casey Mittelstadt

Casey Mittelstadt was not able to live up to the billing as a second line centre for the Colorado Avalanche, but still possesses unrealized potential. A skilled playmaker, Mittelstadt’s issues have been more about application than about talent. At 26 years old, a new level is possible, but should not be the expectation.

Henri Jokiharju

Perhaps Henri Jokiharju represents a better gamble on a mid 20s NHL regular. A right shot defenceman, Jokiharju seems to have found some chemistry with Nikita Zadorov. As a pending unrestricted free agent, Jokiharju might not stay beyond this season just as the Bruins might not want to spend enough to keep him.

The two sides will have a chance to see how it works out before committing to each other, but there is upside. Jokiharju diversifies the skill set of the right side between Charlie McAvoy and Andrew Peeke.

New prospects joining the fray

Instead it will be younger players and draft picks that hold more hope. Marat Khusnutdinov is showing signs of thriving in an expanded role, coming into his own as an NHLer. Fraser Minten plays a strong style that should translate well into the NHL, eking out space to shoot from contested ice. Both should be able to fight for spots in the top-nine forward group next season. 

The Bruins added some longer shots, such as prospect William Zellers, and AHL defencemen Daniil Misyul and Max Wanner. Wanner is interesting, a defensive right shot with decent puck skills and skating. Far from an offensive force, Wanner has been outperforming his seventh-round draft slot since being selected in 2021. Predicting their ascent to regular NHL roles is far more speculative. 

The Bruins also added some upcoming draft picks, including at least one first-round pick in 2026 courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bottoming out the rest of this season will improve the value of their own picks as well. These picks can be used to select players or as trade capital, but the effort to get younger suggests that the team intends to use them.

Next steps for Boston

Ultimately who the Bruins pick is more important than where the Bruins pick, as well as how those players are developed after being selected. Players selected in 2025 and 2026 would do well to be NHL regulars by 2028–29, meaning there will have to be patience for this deadline’s draft acquisitions to pay dividends. If the Bruins make good on their selections a spectre of positivity would begin to loom before then. 

The Bruins are not likely to top any league-wide prospect system rankings, but converting this into wins is more about functionality than perspective. In the grand scheme, the Bruins might require another elite forward to join Pastrnak and McAvoy to form the team’s core group to return to championship contention.

Nailing a high draft pick is hardly the only way to do so, but it is the best way. Volume is a factor, but the Bruins are still far more put together than most rebuilding teams. Simply put, the Bruins still need to draft another star player before their Stanley Cup window opens once more.

Expectations for Boston’s new prospects

The Bruins can also rely on internal improvement to make headway in the short term. The development of Minten, Poitras, and Khusnutdinov carries a heavy load. The quickest path back to relevance depends on all three becoming significant contributors to the top-nine forward group, if not more.

All three have proven themselves worthy of such belief, but success should not be presumed. Likewise, Lohrei seems a safe bet to keep improving. Along with John Beecher and Jakub Lauko, the Bruins have some hopes for growth from within.

The Bruins still have proven players

Naturally the return of their top two defencemen, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, will be a big help. A better season from Swayman certainly seems possible as well. The team will have some money to play with in free agency, which will certainly tempt some fans into high priced daydreams. Adding a star talent should always be considered, and might even make some sense given the elite players already on the team.

How things can go right in Boston

What seems less prudent is a glut of mid level signings. To an extent the Bruins need to give their youth some space to grow. There will be some spots of for grabs, especially in the forward group, but there is still plenty of structure.

Integrating two young centres—read Minten and Poitras—will go much smoother thanks to the quality already within the Bruins lineup. A solid blueline, a good starting goalie, and an elite winger will go a long way towards supporting them enough for them to thrive.