Swayman, Bruins attempt to pinpoint what went improper in misplaced season

Bruins

“That is one thing that guys will come again with, a vengeance and have a chip on our shoulders.”

Jeremy Swayman, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak are among the many giant contingent of Bruins gamers at the moment collaborating within the IIHF World Championships in Sweden and Denmark. 

And whereas their main focus within the current revolves round serving to their respective nations take house a title, all of Boston’s lineup regulars confused to NHL.com that they wished they have been nonetheless enjoying hockey at TD Backyard in mid-Might.

“We all know we’ve got higher (to provide),” Swayman instructed NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers at Worlds. “We all know what we’ve got to do to have success in Boston. Our followers deserve rather more and we deserve rather more. That’s what we’re going to do.” 

Swayman and the Bruins had a disastrous 2024-25 season, with Boston lacking the postseason for the primary time since 2016 and ending with the fifth-worst report within the NHL at 33-39-10. 

“I can’t actually pinpoint it,” Swayman stated of what performed into Boston’s struggles this previous season. “You see the historical past of the league and the way groups undergo the ups and downs, and that’s the primary time Boston has had that. It’s one thing we study from, and we’re lucky to study from it. However transferring ahead, that’s not our commonplace. 

“Our commonplace is way greater than what we had this 12 months. That’s one thing that guys will come again with, a vengeance and have a chip on our shoulders. That’s one thing we’re enthusiastic about.”

Swayman’s play left rather a lot to be desired in 2024-25. Recent off of inking an eight-year, $66 million contract following a tumultuous offseason, he closed out the 2024-25 marketing campaign with an .892 save share.

Though Boston’s protection regressed in entrance of him, Swayman additionally ranked 63rd out of 73 certified goalies (10 video games performed) with a -9.1 targets saved above anticipated (per MoneyPuck).

Past Swayman’s struggles, Boston needed to take care of a number of vital accidents to lineup regulars in Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy, whereas the workforce ultimately fired head coach Jim Montgomery simply six weeks into the brand new season.

Add in a number of forwards struggling to copy the breakthrough seasons they submitted in 2023-24, and a Bruins season that started off with a lot hope shortly devolved into catastrophe. 

“I feel there have been loads of issues that went improper for us this 12 months,” Elias Lindholm stated. “The teaching change and stuff like that, then dropping [Lindholm] was robust for us, and McAvoy was out and in a little bit bit, and when you lose a D pair like that it’s going to be robust, stuff happening with ‘Sway’s contract and ‘Marchy’s contract and stuff like that. It was loads of noise and loads of consideration.

“Not the season anybody needed, however hopefully subsequent 12 months everybody’s wholesome and able to go, have a superb camp, and be able to be a playoff workforce once more.”

Boston has loads of work to do if it desires to reassert itself as a playoff workforce in 2025-26. 

However with almost $30 million in obtainable cap area and Boston restocking its draft cabinets following a trade-deadline fireplace sale, the Bruins have loads of choices obtainable this offseason to attempt to retool their roster round franchise fixtures like Pastrnak transferring ahead.

“Robust season,” Pastrnak stated. “We misplaced a pair gamers. We received some good expertise. We now have some draft picks. We’re going to be a lot better. I totally belief within the administration, and I’m fairly positive and one hundred pc constructive we’re going to be a a lot better workforce subsequent 12 months.” 

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Purple Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.