Among the other pleasant surprises were the development of younger players Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov; the bounce-back seasons for Jeremy Swayman and Viktor Arvidsson; and the emergence of career AHLer Jonathan Aspirot into a sturdy and dependable NHL defenseman.
The Bruins finished with 100 points in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.
The surprises, however, are likely over.
There will be no rest for the weary. There is very little time to exhale in the NHL. Lots of work was done throughout the 2025-26 season. Lots more is on the docket.
“We’ve got to start from scratch. We’ve got to build something again what we started this season and go from there,” said Sturm. “Because I see a lot of teams who are not in the playoffs this year that will be back in the picture. We just can’t rest in this league. That’s going to be the challenge. Expectations are going to be higher. We’re not going to be a surprise team anymore.”
In addition to the teams that qualified this season, the Panthers, Capitals, Islanders, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets likely will be back in the mix next season.
The Bruins won’t need to overhaul their roster in order to keep pace and exceed expectations again, but they can’t just run it back, either. Some changes, minor and major, will need to happen.
First up is finding a No. 1 center to plunk between scorers David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.
Elias Lindholm (he was plagued by a cranky back), Pavel Zacha (he excelled as the No. 2 pivot), Minten (he was the most pleasant surprise personnel-wise), and Khusnutdinov (he is more of a natural wing) took turns in the middle of the top line.
It’s possible one of that quartet can claim the job permanently, or maybe Matt Poitras, fresh off some valuable seasoning with AHL Providence, can reemerge.
A trade is possible, but Don Sweeney conceded that’s a lot easier said than done.
“When you do make a call about a player of that nature … the guy on the other side says, ‘There’s not even 32 [No. 1 centers] in the league,’ ” said the general manager.
Robert Thomas, dangled by the Blues at the trade deadline, could be put on back the market. Thomas’s age (27 in July) and contract (tied up until 2030-31 with an $8.125 million salary-cap hit) make him attractive, but he’ll cost plenty of assets.
Up second is cutting down on secondary scoring chances.
Swayman is brilliant at making the first save — if he sees it, he’s generally going to stop it. The second shots, be they rebounds or caroms off bodies or boards, were a problem. Helping Swayman in this area is must. Clearing the puck and the bodies in front is imperative to cutting down on greasy goals.
Boston has to get better getting out of its end. Quickness and speed are imperative, which is why those in the organization are high on fleet-footed Frederic Brunet, a 2022 fifth-round pick. The 22-year-old has the skill set to thrive in Sturm’s system.
Rasmus Andersson, whom the Bruins kicked the tires on in January before Calgary shipped him to Las Vegas, is poised to be an unrestricted free agent. He has speed, smarts, and snarl.
On the trade market, St. Louis’s Colton Parayko, who nixed a deal to Buffalo in March, may be shopped again.
A blockbuster involving Thomas and Parayko for a bundle of prospects and picks could be mutually beneficial for both franchises.
Thirdly, another sniper or two on the wing to help balance the scoring lines would be a big help. Those pieces may already be in-house.
Viktor Arvidsson (25 goals) was rejuvenated by his season in Boston. He was the driver on the second line and his ability to get to the blue paint was sorely missed in the latter stages of the Buffalo series. There’s mutual interest in an extended stay, and the Bruins would do well to lock up the popular Arvidsson to a two- or three-year deal.
While James Hagens could very well end up at center, he’s likely going to cut his NHL teeth at wing. He got a taste of big-league speed, and his education will continue this month with Team USA at the World Championship. Hagens has excelled at every step he’s taken, and there’s no reason to think he can’t continue that trajectory.
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.
