4 Things on the Bruins’ To-Do List this Offseason

Is Geekie a traditional top-line winger? Not necessarily, and certainly not what he was brought in for. However, he has looked comfortable on the top line. A prime example is Chris Kunitz, who thrived alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Sidney Crosby throughout the course of his career. It is not always about having the best player on the top line, but the right player. 

The one trait that makes Geekie special is his shooting ability. He has a wicked shot and made sure to flash it more often than not. He set a career high in goals (33) and points (57). In addition, he finished the season with a 22% shooting percentage, which was nine points higher than last season. The best part? Geekie was tied with players such as Kyle Connor and Cole Caufield for the most goals scored during five-on-five play. Pretty good company to be in if you ask me. 

The Bruins will have additional cap space and need to lock him up. He is a pending restricted free agent, so they have that to work with. Geekie thrived on the Bruins’ top line and showed he belongs. He also wants to be here. Don’t overthink this. Lock him up. 

Supplement the Roster to Build Around Pastrnak

The Bruins have one of the best players in the entire NHL in David Pastrnak. He was without question the team’s most valuable player and certainly performed like it all season long. More notably, he was one of the top producers when the calendar flipped to 2025. From Jan. 1 to the end of the season, Pastrnak led the league in points (69) and goals (30). Of his 39 assists, 28 were primary, which speaks volumes. He also went on to have his third consecutive 100-point season. 

With that being said, general manager Don Sweeney and company need to do their due diligence to supplement the roster and build around him. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov made sure to speak on that during their media day as they cleared out their lockers.

“What, are they going to be wasting Pasta’s years? … It’s win or nothing in here, for sure.” He is right. Build around him and make sure to contend while his best years are right now. 

Entering free agency this upcoming July, the Bruins will have approximately $27.13 million in cap space. They have plenty of decisions to make on pending restricted free agents, primarily Geekie, but still have the chance to lure in a big fish. 

The Bruins need talent, and bringing that in is a must when it comes to the forward group. They struggled in goal scoring, finishing with the sixth-fewest goals (222) and a minus-14.78 goals for above expected. It’s lofty, but making a run for Mitch Marner is a wise decision, and also aiming to go all in on Nikolaj Ehlers. But it is not just free agency, the Bruins need to have a plan to integrate the youth into the lineup. 

Integrating the Youth Into the Lineup

The Bruins have entered unfamiliar territory. With the core of old out the door and onto greener pastures, they are now entering a new era of hockey. While they do have an established core in place, they still need to fill out the roster and put the pieces together. While they could very much turn to free agency (as they should), they need to integrate the youth into the lineup. 

You’ve gotten a glimpse of Fabian Lysell at the NHL level. The young winger recorded his first NHL point and also scored his first NHL goal. He got his chance and made the most of his opportunity. Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Fraser Minten also got a look down the stretch to end the season. Minten plays a responsible two-way game. But the biggest thing is going to be giving a spot to Matthew Poitras. 

Poitras has been sensational for the Providence Bruins and has fine-tuned his craft. He was a point-per-game player for Providence and a large reason they made the playoffs. The common theme for these players is that they all have talent and should be injected into the lineup for the 2025-26 season.

All of these roster decisions make the team better, but the biggest thing on their to-do list is…

Hit a Home Run with the Next Head Coach

This one is the most important thing on the to-do list. Finding the right head coach. It remains to be seen what options are available and what they intend to do, but the Bruins hiring the right coach will go a very long way. 

The Bruins need to figure out what identity they want to play with. Prior to the 2024-25 season, Cam Neely went on to say that he wants to see the Bruins play with more speed. Meanwhile, they became the heaviest team in the league and looked slow. Also, finding the right coach whose system fits the players’ style of play is huge. 

You have a superstar winger, your top two defensemen returning, and a goalie who should bounce back. Get a coach to help maximize this roster.

Bruins Have Work to Do

The real work is only beginning, and that’s not including the draft. Extending Geekie should be the top priority, and then the club needs to integrate high-end talent into the lineup. This roster is in good shape to at least compete, but they need a coach first and foremost. Buckle up, Bruins fans, it’s going to be a long summer.