By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Now with the NHL free agent frenzy subsiding for the most part, the Boston Bruins have some decisions to make regarding their defensive core. Bruins general manager Don Sweeeny has brought in Will Borgen via a trade and has brought back Connor Clifton through free agency.
In addition to those two acquisitions, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Jonathan Aspirot, Mason Lohrei, Nikita Zadorov, and Henri Jokiharju remain a part of Boston’s backend. Not to mention, Jordan Harris is a part of the organization as well.
Most likely, the Bruins will have to move at least one defenseman in a trade this offseason. The organization could package Lohrei in a deal for some help at forward, as being healthy scratch in last spring’s playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres could prove rather significant this offseason.
Jokiharju could also be moved in a similar trade that sent Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers. But regardless of the deal that will almost certainly come later this summer, the Bruins will need to free up the clogging at the defensive position.
Moving from the front office to the coaching staff, Marco Sturm will have some interesting calls to make behind Boston’s bench this year. Heading into his second season as Bruins head coach, Sturm has many decisions to make regarding the structure of Boston’s backend.
On the first pair, it is clear McAvoy will be anchoring the Bruins defense again this season. The former Boston University Terrier had a very effective 2025 campaign under Sturm’s coaching.
Last season, Aspirot played much of the year as McAvoy’s partner. He proved to be a steady presence and a stable NHL defenseman. Sturm could decide to run back that partnership or at least pick and choose when to deploy the pairing, as he was mindful of putting Aspirot in manageable situations during his first time in the NHL. Lohrei could find time on the first pair as well if he is with the organization this fall.
For the second pairing, Lindholm and Borgen could prove to be a complementary duo in the middle of Boston’s defense. With Lindholm’s skating ability and Borgen’s stable game, the two defensemen seem like a natural partnership. It will be important to keep an eye on how Lindholm and Borgen handle an aggressive forecheck, as that was a recurring issue for Boston’s defense throughout last season, especially in the playoffs.
For their third unit, Zadorov and Clifton could slide in perfectly as a physical, damage-inducing duo for the Bruins bottom pairing. Zadorov looked much more comfortable in his second year donning the Spoked-B, in large part because he spent more time on the bottom pair. Zadorov and Clifton getting the chance to mash guys into the boards and take the body when appropriate could prove to be quite effective for the Bruins.
As summer rolls on, the Bruins front office will need to sort out the logjam at Boston’s backend. And once the unit is solidified, the Bruins coaching staff will need to work out all the possible matchups to find the best three duos. For the Bruins to get back into the postseason this year, the defense will have to be sturdy, physical, and productive.
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