The Boston Bruins are in panic mode. After three consecutive losses, two of which were by four or more goals, management decided to move on from head coach Jim Montgomery. This decision was controversial; while it was not the start the Bruins were looking for by any means, Montgomery has had a spectacular run during the regular season in his two-plus years in Boston. Either way, he was replaced by associate coach Joe Sacco, who will be the Bruins’ interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Just a quarter of the way through the season, we are not too far removed from Montgomery and the Bruins’ high hopes they held as they headed into 2024-25. After signing star netminder Jeremy Swayman just days before opening night, it seemed like the Bruins were set to contend in the Eastern Conference as they have year in and year out.
Related: Bruins Part Ways With Head Coach Jim Montgomery
So, what went wrong? There is a laundry list of players who have underwhelmed over the first 20 games, however, one group stands out: those they signed this offseason.
New Faces
The Bruins’ two high-profile free agent signings were defenseman Nikita Zadorov and center Elias Lindholm. Neither is panning out well at the moment. Lindholm has the potential to be the star center the Bruins have been lacking since the departure of Patrice Bergeron. He had a solid start to the season, putting up five points in his first three games wearing the spoked B, but has since fallen off, posting the same number of points over the following 18. Zadorov has not been much better. He holds a minus-1 plus/minus and has spent the majority of his time with the team’s third pairing. He also leads the league in penalty minutes with 46: some of these are to be expected as a physical defenseman but he has taken some calls that have been careless and harmful to his team.
While these two former Vancouver Canucks’ subpar play is a major cause for concern, an even bigger issue is the amount the Bruins have committed to the duo. Over the next seven years, the team has over $84 million hung up on Lindholm and Zadorov. If both of these contracts do not pan out, the Bruins are in trouble; it will be very difficult to contend with that much money stuck with players who are not producing, and they will be difficult to move if their subpar play continues. It is only 20 games into the season, and they still have plenty of time to turn it around, but their lackluster performance thus far is a major cause for concern.
Jeremy Swayman
Bruins fans were over the moon when their team locked down their all-world netminder ahead of the 2024-25 season, but his play has not been up to his standard since. His .884 save percentage (SV%) is the lowest he has posted at any level, with his worst full season in the NHL coming in at .914. His goals-against average (GAA) has been underwhelming as well, letting in nearly 3.5 goals per game. Swayman should improve as the season goes on: he is likely shaking off some rust after missing training camp while his contract was pending. If that is the case, he should get better and better as he sees more action. If he does not improve, however, the Bruins are in big trouble, as they have $66 million tied up with him over the next eight seasons.
Subpar Play
The Bruins have played below their standard as individual players and as a team. If they want to establish themselves as legitimate contenders, they are going to need to see improvement across the board. With that said, Lindholm, Zadorov, and Swayman in particular all need to step up. The Bruins have major commitments to these three players in both dollar value and term over the coming years. If there is no improvement the team is in big trouble.
