Things have not really been going particularly great for the Boston Bruins in 2024-25. From the slow start that led to the firing of head coach Jim Montgomery to the recent “report” about supposed bad blood between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak – which was resolutely and quickly refuted by pretty much everyone around the organization – it hasn’t been a great season so far. On top of that, as is essentially the standard in an 82-game season, the team has also run into their share of injuries.
The biggest injury concern for the Bruins this season has been the lower-body injury to Hampus Lindholm that has kept him out since November. Prior to the injury, he was arguably the best blue liner for the team. After little news from him, there was a positive update this past week as he participated in team practices for the first time since the injury.
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But this good news was also accompanied by the news that he was going on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) for cap management. Additionally, this past week, Charlie McAvoy and Mark Kastelic were put on injured reserve (IR), and Cole Koepke is set to miss at least one game after a huge hit in his recent matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Outside of Lindholm, none of these injuries sound like they will lead to a lot of missed time. But, given the current state of the team, it may be wise to take a more cautious and conservative approach when dealing with returning from injuries. This is especially true in light of recent comments from President Cam Neely.
Current State of the Bruins
The Bruins are currently sitting in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 22-19-5 record and are clinging to a wildcard playoff spot. They have shown signs of rebounding after their slow start and have put together some good stretches of games, especially in their recent wins against the Lightning and reigning champion Florida Panthers. But realistically, are they good enough to make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup? Probably not.
It seems like Bruins management is contemplating that reality as well. In recent comments this week, Neely mentioned that they are preparing two paths for the team at the trade deadline: one where they are buyers and one where they are sellers.
The team does not need a complete rebuild, as evidenced by the fact that they are still a playoff contender. They have the makings of a solid core group of players to build a championship team around: Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm, and Jeremy Swayman. But they do need to re-tool and rethink the makeup of this roster.
Don’t Rush Back from Injury
In a perfect world, every NHL player would take all the time they need to completely heal from injuries. But let’s be honest, guys definitely push to return when they’re cleared, but maybe not necessarily a hundred percent. It’s one of the reasons so many players reveal injuries and surgeries after the season has ended. It is part of the reality of professional sports, and all teams hire very good medical professionals for a reason to know when things can be pushed and when they cannot.
But given the fact that the Bruins aren’t really in a spot to be true contenders right now, it may be the smart decision to be more conservative with guys returning from injury this season, particularly with the likes of Lindholm and McAvoy, who are central pillars to this roster. Give them the extra week to sit and be closer to 100%. Why risk it for a season that should end in re-tooling to this roster?
Giving guys extra time to return from injuries also creates opportunities for prospects to get playing time. With this week’s injury moves, Matthew Poitras was finally called back up from the American Hockey League (AHL) and played great against the Lightning, playing over 14 minutes and registering an assist. Michael Callahan, another prospect, also got called up and had an opportunity to make his NHL debut. Parker Wotherspoon, who has been in and out of the lineup throughout his tenure in Boston, got into the game and scored his first NHL goal.
The Bruins organization needs to start getting their prospects more opportunities in the NHL. They need to find out if some of these guys have an NHL ceiling in Boston or if it is time to move on from them. Giving an injured guy an extra week to recover is a potential extra week to evaluate a prospect at the NHL level.
Giving guys some more time to recover during the season could also help players reach the end of the season a bit healthier than they normally are, sending them into an offseason where they can fully train. It’s hard not to chalk up part of the reason for Marchand’s slow start being the fact that he spent most of the offseason recovering from three surgeries, thus not getting as many training opportunities. Finishing the season with a healthier roster will give guys time to fully train and reset this offseason to come into 2025-26 fresh and ready to go, hopefully with legitimate changes made by the front office.
Path Ahead for the Bruins
The Bruins have said it themselves: there are differing paths ahead of them at the moment, but signs seem to be pointing towards changes coming. A re-tooling, as many have called it. If that is the direction they decide to go, then there is no reason not to be more conservative with guys coming back from injury for the rest of the season. They’ve had a recent run of them, and there’s always a chance there will be more injuries down the line.
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While there is no reason to completely give up on being competitive in their remaining 2024-25 games, the Bruins will probably need to look to 2025-26 to make a real run at the Stanley Cup. They should keep things interesting but focus on giving chances to prospects and having guys healthy.
