The Boston Bruins kept their cards close to their chest when it came to their head coach search this offseason.
Eventually, they locked in on one of their former players, Marco Sturm, to come in and take over behind the bench
After making a run to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins failed to meet expectations this past season. The end result saw them miss out on the postseason for the first time in eight years.
Sturm will be tasked with getting Boston back to the promised land, but in order to do so, his roster is going to need to be tuned up a bit. Based on some recent comments he made, it sounds like the Bruins could be looking to make some notable moves over the next few months.
“We still have a strong core. Do we need some players? Absolutely. I’m not going to lie,” Marco Sturm said on “Felger & Mazz.” “But again, I’m excited about that. I’ve talked to my core guys already. They’re very upset about what happened in the past. And I can tell they’re hungry for more.”
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The B’s seemingly loaded up last offseason after their unexpected playoff run, signing guys like Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to long-term deals in free agency. Boston never really managed to get off the ground, though, and it resulted in their surprising free fall.
Armed with around $26 million in cap space, Don Sweeney and the Bruins front office will have the opportunity to take some more swings in free agency again this offseason. Guys like Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, and Brock Boeser are headlining this class, so there will be an opportunity for some talented new players to be brought to town.
As Marco Sturm also noted, though, the Bruins already have a fair share of talent in the building, with David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman leading the way. That is a core group that the front office can build around.
After tearing down the walls at the trade deadline, it’s fair to assume Boston is a few years away from playoff contention. But if they push the right buttons this offseason, Sturm believes he can get them back to the postseason after a one-year hiatus.
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