NHL training camps are a month away and the Boston Bruins are staring down a slate of unresolved questions — the kind that don’t just linger through September, but threaten to trail them well into the regular season. There’s no shortage of storylines in play, but a few stand out as the defining issues shaping the organization’s outlook.
Let’s begin with the goaltending.
Perhaps more than any team in the league, the Bruins’ fortunes hinge squarely on Jeremy Swayman. As he goes, so goes Boston. He’s the engine, the safety net, and the margin for error all wrapped into one. If his performance dips even slightly from last year’s elite level, whatever slim playoff hopes the Bruins are clinging to — at least in the eyes of most analysts — could evaporate quickly.
Just as pivotal is what the Bruins can realistically expect from Michael DiPietro, who enters camp as the unchallenged No. 2 behind Swayman. On merit, he’s earned this shot — his last two AHL seasons were strong enough to force his way into the conversation. But the question hanging over the organization is simple: what happens if he falters?
Boston did bring in Jiri Patera (for the second time) as an insurance policy, but with only nine NHL appearances to his name, it’s hardly a setup that inspires widespread confidence. This is the one position where a PTO feels not just possible, but maybe even logical. There’s still time to add a veteran safety net, and if the Bruins have even a hint of doubt about their depth chart, this is the moment to act.
The questions on defense don’t stop.
The Bruins enter camp with a logjam on the blue line — 11 defensemen who require waivers, though Billy Sweezey isn’t likely to complicate the picture. Even setting aside the Charlie McAvoy six‑game suspension to start the year, the math is unforgiving. At least two defensemen, and very possibly three, are headed for the waiver wire before opening night.
The biggest lineup question on the back end sits right at the top: who actually opens the season next to McAvoy? Do the Bruins lean on Jonathan Aspirot again after his steady yet unspectacular showing in that role? Do they take a bold swing and hand rookie Frederic Brunet a look out of the gate? Or do they default to the proven veteran presence of Hampus Lindholm? Could they go with the already tried Mason Lohrei or Nikita Zadorov? It’s the most consequential decision on defense, and it will shape the entire structure of their blue line.
Until that top‑pair decision is made, the rest of the blue‑line puzzle stays unsolved. You can’t determine who slots next to Will Borgen on the second pair without knowing who’s elevated alongside McAvoy. Zadorov should almost certainly anchor the third pair, but the question of who rides shotgun with him is wide open. Maybe they place Lohrei back on the right side? And that’s before you even factor in Henri Jokiharju, Connor Clifton, and Jordan Harris — all of whom complicate an already crowded picture.
Outside the obvious names, it’s hard to imagine the Bruins slipping Brunet, Lohrei, or Aspirot through waivers without risking a claim — all three would draw interest league‑wide. That leaves Jokiharju, Clifton, and Harris as the more realistic candidates if the goal is simply to minimize the chance of losing someone for nothing. But they just signed Clifton as a free agent in the summer. What kind of message would that send?
A trade would have been the cleanest solution to this roster crunch, and that door isn’t fully closed, but the window is tightening with each passing day.
And it gets more complicated with the forwards.
At the top of Boston’s decision‑making list sits the Pavel Zacha question. Do you lock him in now with a contract extension? Do you play out his current deal, ride it to the trade deadline, and reassess based on where the team stands? Or do you move him immediately, capitalizing on what might be the peak of his market value?
An even bigger looming question is the health of Elias Lindholm. Can he give the Bruins what they need down the middle, or is he ultimately headed for a move to the wing? And if that shift happens, does it open the door for Matthew Poitras to claim a center spot? If so, who comes out of the lineup to make room for Lindholm on the flank?
Speaking of Poitras, the Bruins have a decision looming on the fourth line. Does he step in for Sean Kuraly, who looked worn down as last season dragged on? And beyond him, there’s a crowd of hopefuls — Michael Eyssimont, Alex Steeves, Lukas Reichel, Ivan Ivan and Attilio Biasca (the latter two won’t require waivers)— all angling for NHL minutes.
But when it comes to waiver risk, Poitras is the one name that should genuinely keep the Bruins up at night. The rest are far more likely to slip through unclaimed, making him the real pressure point in this roster shuffle.
Here’s my 23-man roster not taking into account the McAvoy suspension.
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