By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
The Bruins have officially found their head coach, as the organization hired former Boston forward Marco Sturm this past Thursday. After a disappointing 33-39-10 record, multiple Bruins are hoping to get back on track in Sturm’s first season behind Boston’s bench.
Whether injuries marred these players’ seasons, the pressure of new contracts affected them, or they struggled to thrive in increased roles, these Bruins would like to put the 2025 season behind them. Here are three players Boston should expect more from this upcoming campaign.
Hampus Lindholm
Lindholm sustained a knee injury on November 12th and did not appear in a Bruins game the rest of the way. He suffered the injury while blocking a shot and eventually had season-ending surgery. At the time of the incident, he had put up three goals and four assists in 17 games.
The Bruins defense severely missed Lindholm. With a full offseason to recover and rehab, he will be an essential asset for Boston’s backend. His ability to break out the puck and stymie opponents in the defensive zone will be a key cog for the Bruins.
Especially with his main defensive partner now in Toronto, Boston will welcome Lindholm back into the lineup. His stability was certainly evident during this past season, with the Bruins struggling mightily in their own end.
Elias Lindholm
After signing a seven-year contract for nearly $55 million, the center was not offensively potent enough in his first year dawning the Black and Gold. He was bounced throughout the lineup with different line combinations and ended the season with 17 goals and 30 assists while skating in all 82 games.
However, Lindholm did end the season on a high note. Skating primarily with David Pastrnak, Lindholm was much more effective in the offensive zone. In his last 17 games, he potted six goals and dished out nine assists.
Sturm would be wise to play Lindholm with Pastrnak at the start of the year. The two found some chemistry towards the end of last season.
Jeremy Swayman
After seeing Linus Ullmark traded and not signing a contract until early October, Swayman had a down year in between the pipes. With an increased workload and the weight of an eight-year deal worth $66 million, Bruins fans saw Swayman’s numbers dip dramatically.
In 58 games, he posted a 3.11 goals-against average, which was over half a score per game higher than the previous year. His save percentage faltered from .916 to .892.
With an offseason void of contract negotiations and other distractions, Swayman should be in a better headspace going into next season. If the Bruins want a bounce-back campaign, Swayman will have to be much sharper in net.
Numerous issues plagued the 2025 Bruins season. Many of the players did not reach the level of play they were expected to. Injuries, lineup changes, insufficient attention to detail, and inconsistent play were all contributing factors to the problem.
If Boston wants to return to winning hockey, they will need better results throughout their lineup, but these three players will be critical to the success of the Bruins next season. All three are more than capable of reaching their potential in 2026.
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