ESPN Reveals ‘Keys’ To (Franchise-Altering?) Bruins Offseason

The Boston Bruins had a less-than-ideal 2024-25 season by their standards.

After the final horn sounds Tuesday night at TD Garden, general manager Don Sweeney will have his work cut out for him to help lead the franchise back to contention, and ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton laid out a game plan to the “keys of the offseason” for the Bruins.

“The Bruins need a permanent head coach. Sweeney could opt to remove (Joe) Sacco’s interim tag or explore who else is available,” Clark and Shilton wrote. “Once Sweeney has that person in place, they can start preparing for an important upcoming draft in which Boston will have a high first-round selection and two picks in the second round.”

Since the trade deadline saw the Bruins move on from team captain Brad Marchand, forwards Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau, and defenseman Brandon Carlo, Boston has recalled several prospects from the AHL affiliate in Providence. Sweeney must determine which forwards and defensemen might be ready to jump to the NHL.

“Those picks take on a greater meaning now considering the Bruins don’t have a deep prospect pool,” Clark and Shilton wrote. “The focus then shifts to determining which of Boston’s young players will be ready to take a leap in the NHL, and how the Bruins will prioritize adding veteran players around them in free agency. The rebuild will be in full swing.”

Of course, the Bruins still have David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Jeremy Swayman locked up for the foreseeable future. However, Sweeney and company still need to build the rest of the roster.

“If (Hampus) Lindholm and McAvoy return to full health, and Swayman can be a game-changer in net again, there’s hope for the Bruins to be a fun club to watch — if not one that reaches the playoffs after a one-year absence,” ESPN concluded. “It’s not as if they’re starting from scratch.”

Sweeney also has the task of naming a new captain and deciding which restricted free agents Boston will tender offer sheets to, including standout forward Morgan Geekie, and he has arbitration rights.

By July 5, Geekie and other arbitration-eligible players must inform their agents and the NHLPA that they’d like to proceed to hearings. Hopefully for the Bruins, Geekei feels the offer presented by the front office is close enough that the forward opts to keep negotiating instead of letting the third party decide for them.