The season opener of the Boston Bruins’ 2025-26 season is only a few days away, and with another set of cuts being made, the opening night roster is basically set. There were a few surprises amongst the final cuts, but for the most part, the roster is largely to be expected after seeing the progression throughout training camp and the preseason.
Related: Bruins’ Mittelstadt Looks Poised for Bounceback in 2025-26
Looking at the Bruins’ training camp and preseason performances, there are a few lingering questions as they gear up to open the season against the Washington Capitals in DC.
1. Will Swayman Fully Turn it Around in Regular Season?
2024-25 was a rough season for goaltender Jeremy Swayman, which was only compounded by his preseason holdout and brand new, eight-year deal. He did not look like the goalie everyone has come to expect, finishing the season with a 3.11 goals-against average (GAA) and .892 save percentage, well below his career averages. He was not good last season, but it was also made worse by the poor performance of the blue line in front of him, which was desperately missing Hampus Lindholm, who did not return the entire season after his November injury, and Charlie McAvoy, who was hurt at the 4 Nations Face-Off and missed the second half of the season.
But things have been looking up for Swayman. He went undefeated at the World Championship early in the offseason, helping Team USA win the gold medal for the first time in 92 years. He has followed that up with a solid performance in training camp and preseason, closing it out with a 30-save game against the New York Rangers in the preseason finale.
The World Championship and preseason are obviously not the same as a full regular NHL season, so the question of what to expect from Swayman in net this season continues as opening night draws closer. I still have full confidence he’ll turn things around, but we’ll see for sure when the season finally gets underway.
2. Is Fraser Minten Ready for Full-Time NHL Role?
Fraser Minten has been talked about a lot in the past few months. He was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline as part of the Brandon Carlo deal and has generated a lot of excitement. He had a great transition to playing with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) and then had a goal in a six-game stint in Boston at the end of 2024-25.
Now, after an impressive training camp and preseason, it looks like Minten will be starting the season in Boston. It is a bit of a surprising move from general manager (GM) Don Sweeney given his track record with giving chances and opportunities to young players, but a welcome surprise. The 21-year-old center could be a huge part of the future of this franchise if management plays things right. He’s been mainly utilized as the third-line center, which is a solid place to start him for the season without putting too much pressure on.
But similar to Swayman, the question still remains about whether or not that performance will translate into the regular season. Minten is very talented, and head coach Marco Sturm seems fully confident in him. Minten becoming a full-time NHLer this season would be a huge bright spot and a great step forward for the franchise as they attempt to build back up from the disastrous 2024-25 season.
Minten will be a player to keep an eye on in the season opener and the following couple weeks. It will be interesting to see how quickly he performs and how long of a rope he’ll have with the coaching staff if he doesn’t perform great right away. There are more than a few interesting names down in Providence that will be jarring for a call-up at the first opportunity possible.
3. How Much of an Impact will Hampus Lindholm Have?
The Bruins’ defense was not good last season, particularly in their own zone. Mason Lohrei is a very exciting young player, but still has a lot of room to grow when it comes to not making judgement errors on defense. Charlie McAvoy is an incredible defenseman, but was not in top form even before his injury took him out for the second half of the season. All around, it was not the best, and it was clear from the opening games of the season.
The biggest bright spot on defense in the first month of the 2024-25 season was Hampus Lindholm, who was subsequently injured in early November and did not return for the rest of the season. But now he is fully healthy, and with no big additions made on the blue line this offseason, Sweeney and the front office are clearly banking on him being the key to getting the blue line back into shape and playing a vital role in whether or not the team will be able to bounce back this season.
So far, so good. Lindholm hasn’t looked like he’s missed a beat throughout training camp and preseason. He had an assist in three preseason games.
The question then going into the season opener, is whether a healthy Lindholm is truly the sole missing piece to get the blue line back into top form or will someone else need to be acquired at some point during the season? If more assistance is needed, it should become apparent fairly quickly once the season gets going.
2025-26 Season Is Here
After the longest offseason the Bruins have had in almost a decade, the 2025-26 season is here. The team has looked decent in preseason, and there are reasons to be optimistic as the new season gets underway. The players seem to be buying into Sturm as a head coach, and this is a team that could potentially push for a playoff spot again.
Related: Poitras a Casualty of Bruins’ Roster Moves
Then again, going into the start of 2024-25, most thought they were going to be a much better team than they turned out to be. There are a lot of question marks surrounding this roster and who they will be in 2025-26. But the offseason has finally come to an end, and there will be answers very soon.
