The Boston Bruins’ 2025-26 season ended in disappointment — and somehow, the draft lottery managed to sting even more.
There’s a long offseason ahead for fans, players, and management alike, as everyone waits to see which direction the front office chooses to steer this team next.
Here are the key offseason dates the club will be facing:
May 15 – May 31 – IIHF World Championships held in Zurich and Fribourg Switzerland.
May 22 – May 31 – The Memorial Cup from Kelowna, British Columbia
This is a good event to watch draft eligible players under pressure situations as well as expanding the book on other team’s prospects in case names pop up in trade discussions.
May 31 – Scouting Combine begins and runs until June 6 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo.
I’ll be there for part, if not all of the combine.
June 15 – First buyout window begins 48 hours after the Cup is awarded or June 15, whichever is later.
I don’t see the Bruins using a buyout option.
June 15 – Deadline for first club elected arbitration – later of June 15 or 48 hours after cup is awarded.
The list of players eligible for arbitration is below. I don’t see the Bruins using this option but players could use their option.
June 21 – Last possible day for Stanley Cup Final.
June 25 – NHL Awards.
Marco Sturm – Jack Adams Trophy (not a finalist), Jeremy Swayman – Vezina Trophy (named a finalist) and Charlie McAvoy – Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Bruins nominee but not a finalist) are all deserving of consideration.
June 26 – Round one of theNHL Entry Draft from KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
The Bruins will be picking either 21st, 22nd or 23rd. (at the time of writing)
June 27 – Round two through seven of NHL Entry Draft.
The Bruins have a total six picks in rounds two-seven including one in the second. One in the third, three in the fourth and one in the seventh.
June 28 July 3 – The CHL Import Draft
The date has yet to be finalized, but the CHL Import Draft traditionally follows the NHL Draft — the window where junior players overseas often find a path to North America. With Vashek Blanar freshly selected in the USHL Phase II Draft, he’s a strong candidate to hear his name again in the Import Draft as he continues charting his course toward his commitment to the University of Massachusetts for 2027–28. Kirill Yemelyanov could also hear his name called.
June 29 – July 12 – NHL Development Camps
Though the Bruins have not scheduled the event as of yet, this is when NHL teams usually hold their respective development camps.
June 30 – First buyout window closes.
June 30 – Qualifying offers are due to restricted free agents to retain their rights.
Bruins that require qualifying offers (including their qualifying offer): Lukas Reichel ($1,300,000); Jordan Harris ($866,250) Matthew Poitras ($813,750); Riley Duran ($813,750); Fabian Lysell ($874,125); Alexis Gendron ($813,750); Max Wanner ($813,750); Simon Zajicek ($813,750); Luke Cavallin ($813,750).
Qualifying offers can not be accepted prior to July 1. That is not the same as signing an extension. A qualifying offer is a formal offer by the team to retain the players rights. They can sign an extension – a different offer – at any time.
July 1 – Free agency period opens at noon New York time.
Bruins who will be unrestricted: Viktor Arvidsson; Andrew Peeke. Bruins that will be Group-6 unrestricted: Matej Blumel; John Farinacci; Navrin Mutter; Georgii Merkulov; Michael Callahan; Victor Soderstrom.
Some of the top free agents around the league include: Alex Tuch; Sergei Bobrovsky; Alex Ovechkin; Darren Raddysh; Rasmus Andersson; John Carlson; Evgeni Malkin; Charlie Coyle; Jacob Trouba and many more. It’s highly unlikely that most of the players listed will reach free agency.
July 5 – Deadline for players to file for arbitration.
Bruins eligible for arbitration: Lukas Reichel; Jordan Harris; Riley Duran; Simon Zajicek; Luke Cavallin. Players must receive their qualifying offers in order to file.
July 6 – Deadline for second club elected arbitration
July 15 – Qualifying offers expire unless extended by team in writing.
The team maintains the rights to the player even though the offer expired. The team can also extend the qualifying offer by doing so in writing.
July 20 – Arbitration hearings begin and end on August 4.
Teams and players can continue to negotiate up until the hearing starts. Once the hearing begins, it must go through the process.
July 20 – August 4 – Second buyout window.
This window lasts 48 hours and can only occur if the team had a player file for arbitration and the case is either settled or awarded. However, there are conditions: 1) The player being bought out had to be on the roster at the last trade deadline and; 2) The buyout is for players earning more than $4 million. (The amount for 2026 has not yet been adjusted).
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