3 goals Bruins must achieve to have a successful 2026-27 season

A new season of hockey is finally here.

After leading an overachieving Bruins roster to an unexpected playoff berth last season, Marco Sturm has his work cut out for him when it comes to sustaining Boston’s upward trajectory​.

The 2026-27 Bruins should be improved from last year’s club — given the arrival of JJ Peterka and Will Borgen as immediate upgrades over Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke, along with the expected development of younger players like Fraser Minten and James Hagens.

But, even a positive step forward for Sturm’s club may not be enough to guarantee a playoff spot, given that several teams out of the postseason picture last season like the Panthers, Capitals, and even the Maple Leafs are also poised to rise in the standings.

So, how can the Bruins stay afloat in a cutthroat Eastern Conference — or, at the very least, sustain momentum for a retooling team that needs to continue to build toward the future?

Here are three goals for Sturm and the Bruins ahead of the 2026-27 campaign:

Find out what you have with your next wave of young talent

The Bruins know what they have with their established core of talent.

​If the Bruins are going to punch their ticket to the playoffs, David Pastrnak is likely going to hit triple digits in points once again — while Jeremy Swayman will need to bail out a defense that routinely sprung leaks last year.

The Bruins have elite players in place, between Pastrnak up front, Charlie McAvoy on the blue line, and Swayman between the pipes. Other lineup regulars like Morgan Geekie, JJ Peterka, and Nikita Zadorov will prop up this solid core.​

But, it’s a collection of talent that, by itself, might only be good enough to stay afloat as a wild-card team in the Eastern Conference.

It’s a testament to the play of Pastrnak and Swayman that their efforts might be enough to extend Boston’s season into late April and early May. But, how exactly does this team take that next step and show signs of being an ascending team in a shifting Eastern Conference landscape?

It will have to revolve around whether Boston’s next wave of young talent emerges as a strong supporting cast alongside the Bruins’ usual suspects like Pastrnak and Co.

One of the top developments from last year’s overachieving season wasn’t a brief playoff appearance — but rather the emergence of youngsters like Fraser Minten and Marat Khusutdinov as potential lineup regulars.

Minten’s continued ascension as a potential top-six pivot is worth monitoring this year, while a Swiss Army knife in Khusnutdinov boasts 20-goal upside as a sparkplug stapled to Minten’s line.

That same patience prescribed to Minten and Khusnutdinov needs to carry over this year to another crop of promising players who have to be empowered by Sturm and his staff.

Can James Hagens emerge as a solid middle-six contributor this year and show signs of stepping into a top-six role moving forward?

Can Michael DiPietro solidify the Bruins’ backup goalie position?

Can Frederic Brunet elevate McAvoy’s game as a puck-moving, transition ace on Boston’s blue line?

More help could be on the way, especially if Dans Locmelis earns a look in the NHL ranks as a potential bottom-six stalwart, while another strong year on Chestnut Hill could have 6-foot-7 forward Dean Letourneau taking the Green Line over to Causeway Street this spring.

The Bruins aren’t necessarily banking on Hagens and Co. emerging as stars in 2026-27.

But, if they look like lineup regulars this winter — and show signs of having even more to give in 2027-28 and beyond?

Then a retooling Bruins roster will actually be a sustainable, proper track moving forward.

Shore up the defense

There’s a lot of regression risk for a Bruins team whose expected goals scored — and goals allowed — metrics last season didn’t translate to Boston’s baseline stats.

Only nine teams averaged more goals per game than the 2025-26 Bruins (3.27), while Boston ranked ninth on the power play — cashing in on 23.4 percent of those bids.​

But, at 5-on-5 play, Boston ranked 22nd in expected goals per 60 minutes and 24th in high-danger scoring chances per 60. That regression eventually stung Boston during a playoff series in which the Bruins tallied one goal in regulation in each of their final four games against the Sabres. ​

The Bruins are going to need Pastrnak and a high-powered man advantage to stave off some of that regression, while the addition of a skilled winger like JJ Peterka should be a welcome remedy.​

How exactly Boston patches up a leaky defense remains a far more daunting challenge.

​Had it not been for Swayman (28.8 goals saved above expected), Boston would have been in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes last year.

​At 5-on-5 play, the Bruins ranked 29th in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.93) last season — ahead of only the Islanders, Canucks, and Blackhawks. Only four teams coughed up more 5-on-5 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes than Boston (12.5).

Swayman might be up to the task once again this year, but the Bruins are playing a dangerous game when it comes to relying on their goalie to keep them afloat in the D-zone, night in and night out.

Swapping out Andrew Peeke for Will Borgen should add a bit more rigidity on the blue line, while a puck-moving asset like Frederic Brunet could help Boston’s efforts to break the puck out cleanly.

But new assistant coach Matt McIlvane will have his work cut out for him when it comes to bolstering Boston’s defensive structure — and stitching up a penalty kill that ranked 24th in the league last season (77.0 percent).

Pick a path with Pavel Zacha

A solid top-six forward in Pavel Zacha may not be the main determinant in the Bruins’ fortunes this season.

​But the pending free agent stands as a fascinating case study in how the Bruins choose to approach this upcoming season and what Don Sweeney’s long-term plans are for this club.

If the Bruins opt for the path of least resistance, Boston eventually inks the 29-year-old forward to a long-term extension this season — a deal that will easily command at least $9-10 million per season.

Boston likes Zacha’s two-way game and versatility, and the production he put forth last year as part of a 30-goal, 65-point campaign.

But, if the Bruins have any hesitations about handing the steady veteran a long-term deal at that price tag, the onus falls on Sweeney to get aggressive, rather than run the risk of letting Zacha walk in free agency next summer.

​If the Bruins are fully committed to a long-term rebuild, trading Zacha — as much as it might hurt this current club — could net Boston a legitimate blue-chip prospect or a valuable first-round pick.

​If Boston wants to remain aggressive and prop up this current core, they could deal Zacha to address a need elsewhere, be it another top-six wing or a top-four defenseman.

That would require a lot of faith placed in younger centers like Minten, Hagens, and potentially Letourneau moving forward.

​But, it’s the type of decisive, bold move that would shed some light on Sweeney’s long-term vision for this club. Be it re-upping Zacha or flipping him for useful assets, something’s got to give when it comes to the Bruins’ top-six pivot.

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.