Bruins ready to build on overachieving foundation this summer

Those fears finally came to fruition the following spring, with Boston’s first-round collapse against the Panthers marking the end of the careers of Bergeron and David Krejci. $4.50 bonus overages on both centers’ contracts deprived Boston of even more spending power last summer – with just under $5 million available to rework the Bruins depth chart .

Additional off-season departures, including Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno and Dmitry Orlov, further exacerbated Boston’s woes – with the team losing 80 goals and 210 total points from last year’s group.

As penance for putting all their chips on the table last season, the 2023-24 Bruins were doomed to a so-called “bridge” season – poor returns on the ice being made up for by an influx of power from purchase in summer 2024. .

Instead, the Bruins received the best of both worlds. Not only do Don Sweeney and the Bruins have the means to significantly revamp this roster, but it turns out the foundation Boston is already adding to might be better than many expected.

“I really can’t express how proud I am of this group,” Brad Marchand said of the 2023-24 Bruins. “Where we started, the expectations to start the season – everyone wrote us off, said we wouldn’t even be a playoff team and said we were one of the best teams in the league.

“We had a lot of new guys, a lot of new roles. And the guys came in and we built something special. I started in the room and brought him onto the ice. We had some hiccups along the way, but from where we started and where we ended, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys and seeing different guys flourish in different roles.

After operating with less than $5 million in cap space last summer, the Bruins are expected to have nearly $20 million available this offseason — a number that could increase if Boston finds a trade suitor for Linus Ullmark and his cap hit of 5 million dollars reached.

After failing to land enough shots against the Panthers’ defense in the playoffs, the Bruins should have the financial flexibility to add to their roster, especially in the middle or on the wing.

A center like Elias Lindholm or Martin Necas could push solid players like Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle into roles more suited to their strengths, while a winger like Tyler Toffoli or Jonathan Marchessault could be a short-term stopgap in the top six.

“We’re in a situation where we can look to add to our core of guys, and that includes some of the younger guys as well,” Sweeney said Wednesday, adding, “We’re going to be aggressive to be able to complement what we’ve been doing.” we currently have it in some areas.

“Our team played hard. To the point of whether or not we can play faster or whether or not we can find players that will create more anxiety on the forecheck in some of the situations that…certainly, you look at the teams that are still playing and they do it. it’s a very good job. In a short time, we did it.

An increase in cap space this summer and in future years should age Boston’s long-term commitments to players like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

But beyond the usual suspects that make up Boston’s roster, the 2023-24 season has seen several other key contributors establish themselves as building blocks of this next wave of talent.

Jeremy Swayman’s superb playoff performance (.933 save percentage through 12 games) confirms that Boston has a No. 1 matchup in net for the long term.

Mason Lohrei has gone from a developmental project to a top-four contributor in the playoffs – offering hope that the young defenseman can continue to grow as a regular QB and potential power play prospect next fall.

Johnny Beecher and Justin Brazeau should continue to develop as fourth-line regulars capable of injecting speed and scoring punch into Boston’s controlling unit, while a healthy Matt Poitras will have the chance to build on the promise he showed before his season-ending injury.

The Bruins already have a roster that should continue to improve in 2024-25. But a surplus of purchasing power gives Boston a unique opportunity to further accelerate this growth – provided it targets the right players.

“I know it’s a unique offseason for us to have money to spend, I think,” McAvoy said. “And if I get to that point and I’m able to help anyone if they want to come here, I have nothing but good things to say about this place.” It’s really special.

The Bruins’ 2023-24 season ended on a sour note for everyone in the Boston locker room – even though the year as a whole was an overly successful one.

But no era has ended like the fear of April 30, 2023 did.

Instead, the Bruins have the chance to inaugurate a new one this offseason.

Now the real work begins.