By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter/X @RyanJBosworth
The Boston Bruins need to add several components to their roster this offseason if they want any chance at taking a step forward in the 2026-27 season. Every offseason, there are several ways to do that. Free agency, when it opens on July 1st, is always the first stop teams make when trying to bolster their roster.
The Bruins always sought after signing the “big fish,” as evidence by their 2024 offseason when they inked both Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm to long-term deals, and it didn’t work out as well as they’d hoped. Zadorov has been solid for Boston, but Lindholm hasn’t quite lived up to his contract.
Year after year, the market continues to thin out. Last year, the biggest contract they dished out in free agency after the major disappointment that was 2024-25 was to Tanner Jeannot. Now, don’t get me wrong, Jeannot was extremely effective for Boston this year. One thing that improved for Boston was being hard to play against, and he was a major reason why. The Bruins’ bottom-six are an extremely tough out, but as we saw in their first-round loss to Buffalo, it isn’t enough to outwork top-line talent.
This year, the Bruins need to learn from previous mistakes, and avoid free agency. After a lackluster return on their investment in Lindholm, and their inability to land a true top-line talent last summer, they need to take alternative routes to finding that talent, and get it through trade.
After the bombshell that dropped last week in the Dylan Larkin trade request news, there seems to be more rumblings just waiting to be revealed, as Elliotte Friedman commented. He stated, “I don’t think this is the last one we’re gonna get this offseason.”
With a potential of several players requesting a trade out of their current clubs, the mission for Boston should be clear: you improve via trade, and stay away from free agency. They have the assets, and the players will be available.
Over the next four drafts, the Bruins have six first-round selections, with four of their own and one from Toronto – 2027 unprotected – and one from Florida – 2028 unprotected. With Florida and Toronto both picking within the top-ten this year, success next year is not a guarantee, and the Bruins should gamble on that when dealing these picks.
Along with a plethora of draft capital, they also have a relatively replenished prospect pool. Players like James Hagens, Dean Leatourneau, and Will Zellers are all projected to be impact players as they continue to develop, and the Bruins should be dangling them in trade conversations. If they’re able to turn a prospect and a pick into a high-impact, win-now player, especially to help David Pastrnak, there shouldn’t be any question — you make the trade.
The Bruins will have some decisions to make this summer, and there’s no doubt a need for improvement. Not only has it come from the front office, but it’s come from the players as well. David Pastrnak was vocal after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season about needing help, and how he isn’t getting any younger. The ultimate goal is a Stanley Cup, and the Bruins won’t get close by making lackluster free agency signings. They need to go out and make a big trade.
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