By: Chris Nosek

Last season was the opitome of “what can go wrong will go wrong” for the Bruins. Everyone remembers Jeremy Swayman’s contract dispute entering training camp, meanwhile Elias Lindholm started the season with a back injury and the hits kept coming. Hampus Lindholm was the lone bright spot for the first two months of the season then suffered a broken knee cap when he took a shot off his leg in November. When the trade deadling came around, Don Sweeney made the right decision to start the retool by trading away Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, and Brandon Carlo.

Biggest Departure: Brad Marchand, traded to Florida Panthers

Don Sweeney didn’t trade away the teams Captain lightly, but it certainly worked out for both parties. Marchand earned his second Stanley Cup Championship and a new $31.5 million contract for the rest of his career. Meanwhile, the Bruins walkaway with another 1st round pick for the 2027 draft. Replacing Marchand in the lineup and locker room will be a massive task, but it allows the Bruins to move onto their next chapter as an organization. Replacing his 50 plus points will prove difficult for the Bruins, but the locker room culture he played a part in building will be key for the team going forward.

Biggest Acquisition: Viktor Arvidsson, acquired via trade from Edmonton Oilers

Last season the Bruins finished 29th in shots for per game finishing ahead of only Montreal, Vancouver, and Chicago. It only cost a 5th round pick in the 2027 draft for Don Sweeney to bring in the 33-year-old Arvidsson. Some people are penciling Arvidsson in for a second line role while others project him on the third line because of his past two seasons in Edmonton. Arvidsson will be a critical player for Boston because of the Bruins inability to score last year and his ability to hit the 25-30 goal mark. He has the flexibility to play on either wing and could play up or down in the lineup if needed. As long as he brings his “shoot first mentality” Bruins fans will like what they get from him.

Best Contract: David Pastrnak, signed on March 2, 2023

Pastrnak is entering the third season of his massive 8 year deal worth $90 million. Since signing this contract, Pastrnak has posted three straight 100 point seasons, or more, and has begun evolving into a leader for the team. If the Bruins were in the playoff race, Pastrnak would likely have garnered a couple votes for the Hart Trophy. He has been extremely consistant and the fact that he is 29-years-old and still has another five seasons on this contract make his far away the best deal on the team.

*Hampus Lindholm – acquired via trade then signed extension on March 20, 2022, extension was an 8-year contract carrying an average annual value of $6.5 million

Pastnak is far and away the best player on the roster, but when it comes to the best contract the dollar amount plays the biggest factor. Lindholm’s average annual value of $6.5 million keeps him in the conversation. He averages almost 23 minutes of ice time per game. Last season he was the lone bright spot at the start of the season. Two seasons ago he finished 4th in Norris voting and was poised to have another great season until he took a shot off his knee cap and was done for the year. If he is able to come back from the injury and play at a level close to what he was before the broken knee-cap, then he is far and away the best value contract on the roster. He still has four more seasons and his average annual value comes in $4.75 million less than Pastrnak.

Worst Contract: Casey Mittelstadt, acquired via trade from Colorado Avalanche

People are freaking out over the contract that Tanner Jeannot signed this offseason and many would argue him to win this designation. Jeannot will be starting the first season of 5-year contract while Mittelstadt has two seasons remaining on his deal. Last season, it was clear the Avs wanted to move on from Mittelstadt as he wasn’t fitting into their lineup and Boston gave them the opportunity in order to get prospect Will Zellers and a 2nd round pick (which Boston used to select defenseman Liam Pettersson). The reason Mittelstadt takes the crown for the worst contract right now is because his presence on the team could prove to be a roadblock for some of the younger players in the organization. The 9-team no-trade list that kicks in for the final year of the contract in 2026-27 means the Bruins have to know soon whether or not they want to find a way to move on from the 26-year-old. His potential to block a younger player combined with the possibility that he could be surpassed by one of them, make his $5.75 million cap hit way too much.

Last Notes

The injuries and turmoil of last season cause some waves of uncertainty in the locker room. This off season, Don Sweeney targeted players who will help the locker room as the organization boasts some solid young talented players who could also put for an NHL roster spot. As the new Head Coach, Marco Sturm will be tasked with finding the best combination for the lineup going forward. There will plenty of analysis of the Boston Bruins from myself and Gayle Troiani, simply follow What’s Bruin on YouTube to tune in for all the coverage throughout the season.