By: Andrew Patten | Follow me on Twitter/X @a_patten11
For the first time since May 1st, 2026, the Boston Bruins will play a meaningful hockey game. Tonight kicks off the 2026-27 National Hockey League season, as the Bruins will host the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Coming off a 2025-26 season that saw the Bruins hit the 100-point mark and earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Boston will face tough challenges this season, as the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference got stronger this offseason. But with a solid core featuring newly named captain David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and Vezina Trophy finalist Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins should be in the thick of the playoff race this season. I asked my colleagues at Black N’ Gold Productions to share their thoughts on the Bruins going into the 2026-27 season.
Mary Olivia Eyears (@OliviaEyears)
Standing: 4th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP(s): David Pastrnak/Morgan Geekie
“I think Boston will finish 4th in the division and earn a playoff spot. The Atlantic Division is tough, but they have a lot of talent and depth, especially with the new additions this offseason and young talent. I believe David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie will be MVPs due to production, consistency, and being big parts of the offense. Jeremy Swayman and defense will also play a huge role in keeping them in playoff position in a tough division.”
Megan Thun (@MThunHockey)
Standing: 4th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP(s): Jeremy Swayman/JJ Peterka
“I anticipate that the Bruins are going to be on the bubble this year with another wildcard entrance. JJ Peterka and David Pastrnak are going to be a powerhouse partnership, but the entire Atlantic Division has settled into their fighting stances, and there are some HEAVY teams. The Bruins don’t have the size or speed of some of the other teams, so they’ll need to make up for that with endurance and grit. The Bs are no stranger to this type of play, but with 84 games ahead, that is going to be a very rocky road.
The biggest risks are going to be injuries, streaky slumps, and penalties. The team will need to play perfectly or get better on their penalty kills really quick. The preseason showed that the penalty killing teams have some leaks that need plugging, so either the team needs to play without penalty (unlikely with Nikita Zadorov, Connor Clifton, and Charlie McAvoy as much as I love them) or get good at killing that penalty. It’s okay to throw a punch, but you have to be able to take one, too. As far as MVP, my toss-up is going to be Swayman for being a star tendie this year, or for Peterka becoming heir to Pasta’s scoring legacy.”
Thomas Hardon (@tbhardon90)
Standing: 5th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP: David Pastrnak
“The Bruins rebounded from a disappointing last place finish in 2024-25, reaching the 100 point plateau and securing a wild card berth before falling to the surprising Buffalo Sabres in the first round. Morgan Geekie continued his career breakout to lead the team with 39 goals while David Pastrňák set a career mark with 71 assists en route to his 4th consecutive 100 point season.
Pasta has help now with the acquisition of JJ Peterka, expected to anchor the top line with Elias Lindholm centering between him and Pasta. Two big questions for the season: How much production can come from outside the Top 6, and how will Jeremy Swayman hold up to an expanded workload with the untested Michael DiPietro as his backup? In a tight Atlantic Division, expect the Bruins to be in a battle with the Ottawa Senators once again down the stretch.”
Eamonn McLean (@EamonnMcLean44)
Standing: 4th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP: Jeremy Swayman
“I think the Bruins will make the playoffs, but just barely. I think they could finish anywhere between 3rd and 7th in the Atlantic. The only teams I think are 100% better than them are Florida and Tampa, and the only team I think they’re 100% better than is Detroit. The rest of the Atlantic is pretty interchangeable, and I think what happens with Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck, and Kirill Marchenko could very well shape the Atlantic, as I think Hellebuyck likely ends up in the Division. (Prediction: Hellebuyck- Buffalo). I don’t think the Bruins will do much of anything in the postseason if they do get in, but they could surprise.”
*Submitted before the Kirill Marchenko Trade*
Neil Simmons (@NSimmz)
Standing: 5th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP: David Pastrnak
“The Bruins made the playoffs last year off the back of some unsustainable shooting percentages and Jeremy Swayman hiding a bottom-third defense. I fully expect some regression to the mean at both ends of the ice, while simultaneously thinking this group will be better than last season. JJ Peterka was a great add to replace Viktor Arvidsson‘s production, if not a straight upgrade on the wing, and should return to his Buffalo form rather than what we saw last year in Utah. Will Borgen and Connor Clifton weren’t the flashy adds Bruins fans hoped for on defense, but at least the right side will be a little more stable behind McAvoy now that we actually have right-shot defensemen. The box score numbers probably won’t look as good as last year, and I’m not betting the house on Swayman to be a Vezina finalist again, but I am confident the Bruins will be present and accounted for come April.
That being said, do I think those pickups were enough to close the gap in the Atlantic? No way. Tampa and Montreal will stay exactly where they are, Buffalo will lose a step but stay comfortably within the playoffs, and Florida will be back, even more aggravating than before. Ottawa, despite losing Brady Tkachuk, will be right there as well, but I’m still backing the B’s to fend them, and probably 2-3 Metro teams, off just enough to scrape into the second Wild Card.”
*Submitted before the Kirill Marchenko Trade*
Jake Ferraro (@18Jxxx18)
Standing: 4th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP(s): David Pastrnak/Jeremy Swayman
“I think Boston is a playoff team; it’s just brutal that they’re in a tough division. I do think Florida, Tampa, and Montreal all finish in the top three, but Buffalo got worse, and Boston got better this offseason. David Pastrnak getting named captain, I think, will give the team an extra bump of motivation, and the backup role filled by Michael DiPietro should give them a top tandem with Jeremy Swayman. If things go really right, maybe they can get the second seed in the division.”
Tom Calautti (@TCalauttis)
Standings: 5th in the Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP: Jeremy Swayman
“It’s not going to be easy clinching a playoff berth in the brutal Atlantic Division, but a second straight Vezina-caliber season from Jeremy Swayman will go a long way in helping the cause. By Thanksgiving, Fraser Minten will be skating on the first line, and James Hagens will flank Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie on the second, and this switch will give Boston a much more dynamic offensive approach. It won’t be easy and will probably involve a lot of overtime/shootout losses, but the Bruins sneak into the big dance and their young guns take a major leap forward.”
Andrew Patten (@a_patten11)
Standing: 5th in Atlantic
Playoffs: Yes
MVP: Fraser Minten
“There’s no question that the Atlantic Division is the best and the toughest in the National Hockey League. Last year, five of the eight teams in the division made the playoffs, and I expect that to happen again. I don’t think the Bruins are quite there with the likes of Florida and Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic, but this is still a very solid team that General Manager Don Sweeney and his staff have assembled.
I think the Bruins will find a way to edge out teams like Toronto (I’m not sure they won the Kirill Marchenko trade), the New York Islanders, and the Columbus Blue Jackets to claim the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. I expect David Pastrnak to have another 100-point season, and JJ Peterka to provide a boost to Boston’s offense, but I believe Fraser Minten will avoid a sophomore slump, eclipse the 25-goal and 50-point mark while working his way up from “The Kid Line” to establishing himself as a Top Six center, which is why I’m picking him as my MVP.”
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