( Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa )

By: Jonathan Turcotte | Follow me on Twitter / X @akaJonnyT

Alright, hockey fans, September is here, and professional hockey in Boston is just a few weeks away. The Bruins will begin their preseason schedule on September 20 and open the 2026–27 National Hockey League regular season on September 29. After a long summer away from the rink, it’s time to start shifting gears and getting back into hockey mode.

To help with that transition, let’s dust off the mailbag and take a look at some of the questions that have found their way to us over the past few weeks. There’s plenty to discuss as the Bruins prepare for another season, so let’s get right to it.

In your opinion, did the Bruins address enough needs this offseason? If not, what’s still missing?

Prior to the draft, several folks covering the Bruins (including yours truly) felt that the biggest need for the team was in obtaining a right-handed defenseman. While the Bruins did not address this need in the early rounds of the draft, they did add Will Borgen, Maxence Guénette, and old friend Connor Clifton. While not necessarily names that will be appearing on fans’ jerseys throughout TD Garden, they are all serviceable defensemen who can fill the void on the right side of the blue line.

Losing Viktor Arvidsson and his friendly cap-hit will hurt a bit, but the Bruins believe in the potential of JJ Peterka. He does have plenty of upside despite what could be described as a slump season in Utah. I admit that I haven’t seen too much of his play, so I’ll reassess this acquisition after seeing a good sample size this season.

Trading Joonas Korpisalo and adding Michael DiPietro actually helps a few needs. It gives the Bruins a little bit of cap relief as well as a potential upgrade in the backup position. DiPietro had a fantastic 34-8-1 record, 1.91 Goals Against Average and .930 Save Percentage in 45 AHL games for Providence in 2025-26. If he can replicate these numbers in the NHL, similar to his old teammate Brandon Bussi, you’ll start hearing DiPietro chants in the stands.

Who do you think the Bruins should be willing to trade to get Owen Tippett from the Flyers?

Owen Tippett and the Bruins have been linked in trade talks since last year’s trade deadline. Tippett is 27, coming off a 28-goal, 51-point regular season, and is locked up through 2031-32 at a $6.2M cap hit. Coincidentally, Tippett’s salary cap hit is just within range for what the Bruins have available to spend (around $6.3 million). Of course, the Flyers aren’t just going to give Tippett to the Bruins. The Flyers reportedly want a “hockey trade” in order to make this work, rather than a bunch of picks or players with no NHL experience.

Tippett is a solid NHL player whose style would fit this Bruins team quite nicely, but he’s not a franchise player. There is word that the Bruins have been willing to part with Matthew Poitras in the past, and I think he would certainly be a candidate that might interest the Flyers. Perhaps Poitras and a second- or third-round pick package would be enough? I’m not sure I would want to offer more than that at this point. If Tippett has a strong start to the season, the Flyers might be able to get more for him. But as of now, I don’t think the Bruins should be willing to trade too much more.

Do you think Brunet can break through the logjam of left-handed defensemen to make the team?

I would say that there’s roughly a 50% chance that Frederic Brunet will become a regular by the end of the season. Actually, I’m in an optimistic mood today, so I’ll bump that up to 66% (maybe this will come up again in a Bold Predictions article). Brunet had an impressive 2025-26 season in Providence with 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 65 games, leading all Providence defensemen in scoring.

He is too valuable a piece to move, which is why he wasn’t mentioned in Tippett’s response above. There truly is a logjam of LHDs, but I am confident that he will get an opportunity during the season to showcase his abilities at the NHL level for an extended period. He will inevitably get called up due to injuries or trades, and I have a feeling he’ll make it tough for them to send him back down.

Who do you think is the Bruins’ biggest X-factor this season, and why?

I know you’re looking for me to answer with the name of a player, and I will, but my real answer might surprise you: Don Sweeney. The consensus of folks I’ve talked to is more negative on this team than I feel they should be, with many predicting the team to miss the playoffs. Despite the first-round exit in the playoffs, the team did end the regular season with 100 points, which was good enough to be eighth overall (which isn’t bad for a 32-team league). I’ve been saying for years that Sweeney’s eye for NHL talent is more impressive than his ability to gauge how 18-year-old prospects will pan out. With the cap space and assets at the Bruins’ disposal, I have a feeling Sweeney will make a significant move this season. Possibly before this calendar year ends.

And to get to my true answer on which player is the Bruins’ X-factor, the answer has to be Jeremy Swayman. His no-trade clause kicked in over the summer, so he is here for the long haul (unless if he starts making demands similar to his Team USA teammates). Swayman has proven to be a Vezina-caliber goaltender and is paid as such (he currently is tied for fifth among goaltenders, with his cap hit at 8.25 million). One thing that I’ve noticed over the years is that the team often has trouble closing out games, giving up goals late when the other goalie is pulled. Many of these times, Swayman is in the net. If he (and the team) can work on their 6-5 zone defense, Bruins fans will have a very enjoyable season that will once again eclipse 100 points.

That does it for this week’s mailbag. Keep your eyes peeled for future publications, and I’ll get to as many questions as I can.