Joonas Korpisalo and Ian Mitchell (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8117b2ac-51c2-48ca-be50-01dbb47ccb59.jpeg] Joonas Korpisalo and Ian Mitchell (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images) Man, Jake DeBrusk must have been much better than we all thought. Ever since he's left the Boston Bruins, they've gone to the dogs. Well, not really. When the calendar turned to 2025, the Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] were in third place in the Atlantic Division, firmly in possession of a playoff spot. Since then, disaster. They've not only foundered, but they traded away franchise stalwarts Brad Marchand [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/brad-marchand-gunning-for-first-cup-in-14-years-no-wonder-hes-with-the-panthers] and Brandon Carlo for futures [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/by-trading-marchand-boston-bruins-rip-off-the-band-aid]. Yes, they have a ton of cap space this summer. But so do a lot of other teams. Yes, they have a decent core of players signed long-term, but that might just prompt them to continue chasing a contender status that just isn't there. This is a team that looks destined to be in the mushy middle, which is kind of the worst place in the NHL, for a few years [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/red-wings-and-bruins-could-be-stuck-behind-the-pack-next-season-as-well]. Today's video column has more. This season is lost, but are the Bruins a retool on the fly away from contending again or are they destined to the NHL's version of purgatory? Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
