The Boston Bruins will be looking to redeem themselves this upcoming season after their nightmare 2025-26 campaign.
The Bruins have some interesting storylines to keep an eye on for the 2025-26 season, so let's take a look at five specific ones now.
Storyline No. 1: Will The Bruins Trade Away More Players?
After significantly underperforming this past season, the Bruins officially began their retool by trading away several former core players. Trading Bruins legend Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers was Boston's biggest move, but they also traded defenseman Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle, and Justin Brazeau before the 2025 NHL trade deadline passed. It marked the beginning of a new era for the Bruins, but could more significant trades be on the way in 2025-26?
The Bruins have been talked about often this off-season in the rumor mill, and it is not too surprising given how their past campaign went. A few specific Bruins players who have been discussed as trade candidates include Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Joonas Korpisalo. If the Bruins are once again among the worst teams in the NHL, it would not be particularly surprising if we see them shake up their roster further, but time will tell what happens on that front.
Report: Bruins Could Trade Notable Forward
At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> traded Charlie Coyle to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche">Colorado Avalanche</a> in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt, Will Zellers, and a 2025 second-round pick, which was used to select defenseman Liam Pettersson. Coyle's time with Colorado was short, as he was traded by the Avalanche to the Columbus Blue Jackets this off-season.
Storyline No. 2: How Much Of An Impact Will Hampus Lindholm's Return Make For The Bruins?
The Bruins got some spectacular news earlier this month, as defenseman Hampus Lindholm confirmed to the Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont that his fractured kneecap is completely healed and that he will be good to go for the start of training camp. Lindholm missed the majority of this past season with the Bruins, as his campaign came to an end after he suffered his knee injury against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 12. With Lindholm being one of the Bruins' best blueliners, the Original Six club felt his absence big time in 2024-25.
Bruins Get Great News About Important Defenseman
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> defenseman Hampus Lindholm missed a significant portion of this past season due to a fractured kneecap he suffered against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues">St. Louis Blues</a> on Nov. 12. While he worked hard to try to return, he was unable to get back into game action before the 2024-25 season was complete. With this, he played in just 17 games this past season for the Bruins, where he had three goals, four assists, and seven points.
Yet, now that Lindholm is healthy, it is going to be very interesting to see how much of an impact he can make in 2025-26 for the Bruins. There is no question that the Bruins missed his all-around strong play on their blueline this past season, and he should provide them with a notable spark if he can stay healthy from here. When playing at his best, Lindholm is steady defensively and chips in offensively, so the Bruins will be excited to have him back in the lineup.
Storyline No. 3: Can Jeremy Swayman Regain His Star Form For The Bruins?
One of the Bruins' biggest downfalls this past season was the shaky play of Jeremy Swayman. The 26-year-old struggled to adjust in his first season as the Bruins' full-time No. 1 starter, and the truth is in his stats. In 58 games with the Bruins in 2024-25, he posted a 22-29-7 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals-against average. Given the success he had in his previous NHL seasons with the Bruins, seeing him struggle to this degree last season was a surprise.
Yet, the new season will offer Swayman a clean slate, and he will be looking to take advantage of it. If Swayman gets back to being the star goalie he was before 2024-25, it would undoubtedly be huge for a Bruins team that is hoping to get back into the playoffs. When noting that the one-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner had a .914 save percentage or better in each of his first four NHL seasons, fans should not rule out the possibility of him having a bounce-back campaign.
Storyline No. 4: Will Michael DiPietro Steal The Bruins' Backup Role From Joonas Korpisalo?
Staying on the topic of the Bruins' goaltending, Michael DiPietro is going to be a big player to keep an eye on at training camp. After thriving in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins this past season, DiPietro is expected to compete for Boston's backup role with Joonas Korpisalo.
The Bruins clearly have faith in DiPietro, too, as they signed him to a two-year contract extension before he had the chance to test the market as a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. With this, the Bruins should give DiPietro the chance to try to steal Korpisalo's spot, and it will be interesting to see if he can successfully do that.
Storyline No. 5: Can New Bruins Forward Tanner Jeannot Prove His Critics Wrong?
The Bruins made one of the NHL's most shocking signings this off-season when they signed Tanner Jeannot to a five-year, $17 million contract in free agency. When noting the 6-foot-2 winger posted just seven goals and six assists in 67 games this past season with the Los Angeles Kings, the contract he landed from the Bruins was both longer and more expensive than many expected he would receive in free agency.
Yet, now that Jeannot has earned this big payday from the Bruins, it is going to be intriguing to see if he can prove his critics wrong and be a pleasant surprise for the Original Six club in 2025-26. While he has not recorded more than seven goals and 18 points in each of the last three seasons, he memorably had 24 goals and 41 points in 2021-22 with the Nashville Predators.
Why Bruins Top Prospect Is Returning To BC
At the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> selected James Hagens with the seventh-overall pick. Hagens still being available when the Bruins were on the clock was undoubtedly a nice surprise, as he was expected to go earlier in the draft. Yet, that did not come to fruition, and the Bruins took advantage of that by picking him.