The Boston Bruins, as it stands today, July 29, are not favored to make the 2026-27 Stanley Cup Playoffs, nor are they expected to repeat their 100-point 2025-26 season.

The Bruins, instead, are staring at odds that have them finishing in the bottom 10 of the NHL, safely putting them into the Draft Lottery, as opposed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Last year, the Bruins saw Vezina-level play from Jeremy Swayman lead the way, along with another 100-point season from David Pastrnak and a mostly-healthy, career-high points season from Charlie McAvoy.

The season also saw Morgan Geekie lead the team in goals with 39, while Pavel Zacha set a new career-high of 30. Viktor Arvidsson had a renaissance season. Fraser Minten arrived on the scene, showcasing how valuable he will be for Boston.

Defensively, Jonathan Aspirot broke out and became a massive part of Boston's defense.

This year, Boston will need more of those types of performances to build on last year.

James Hagens needs to emerge as a game-changer early on, force his way into big minutes, and thrive. Connor Clifton and Will Borgen will need to help stabilize Boston defensively.

JJ Peterka will have to prove his worth after Boston traded two first-round picks for the German forward to help replace Arvidsson.

Boston needs the team to perform like they did last year, greater than the sum of their parts.

There are strong pieces on the board; they've just got to maximize them.