Can The Boston Bruins Shock The Rest Of The NHL's Atlantic Division?

After the Boston Bruins had a solid 2025-26 season, some observers – this one included – wondered whether they could replicate it, let alone improve on it.

But in their first nine games, the Bruins have a 7-2-0 record, good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.

The good news doesn't stop there for Boston. They've won five straight games, and their plus-15 goal differential is the second-best in the entire NHL. Meanwhile, goalie Jeremy Swayman has a stellar .934 save percentage and 1.85 GAA, making him an early front-runner for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best netminder.

Their overall depth has really shined as well, with a whopping 11 players who've generated at least five points.

Boston's terrific start is another indication that the Atlantic is going to be one of the NHL's most competitive divisions, and Bruins fans have to be extremely pleased with head coach Marco Sturm, who is making a great case for the Jack Adams Award as the league's best bench boss.

That said, it's still reasonable to be skeptical of the Bruins and where they rank among legitimate Stanley Cup threats.

They are still very much a team transitioning from the Brad Marchand/Patrice Bergeron era, and have 12 players who are 27 or younger, and six players who are 30 years old or older. The Bruins of today are going to look significantly different than the Bruins team a year or two from now.

But let's get back to what we can expect from Boston in the immediate future. They've played just over 10 percent of their season, and in the next 10 percent of their schedule, the Bruins will be taking on the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

Not many pushover teams in that group. 

The good news is that their young players are looking about as good as any fan could've hoped. Whether it's Fraser Minten, James Hagens, JJ Peterka, or Marat Khusnutdinov, the Bruins' youngsters should be meaningful contributors for a long time to come.

That's before mentioning that Boston has four first-round draft picks in the next three drafts. Bruins GM Don Sweeney has done a stellar job of restocking his team's shelves and positioning Boston to be extremely competitive for the foreseeable future.

The Atlantic is still going to be a brutal division for the Bs to operate in, but Sturm and Sweeney have to be extremely happy with how things have started. Injuries could test their depth, but the Bruins have shown enough skill and determination early on to suggest they can deliver strong results over the remaining 75 games of the season.

The Bruins aren't backing down. While a championship might not be in the cards for them this season, fans should enjoy the ride.

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