The first round of the 2025 NHL Playoffs is currently underway. Already, it has brought some fantastic hockey, reignited rivalries, and entertained hockey fans around the world.
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While it is the first time the Boston Bruins have missed the postseason since the 2015-16 season, there are plenty of former Bruins players currently playing if fans are looking for someone to cheer for. Out of the eight series taking place, all but one of them feature at least one former Bruin on the roster. The only one without is the Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens series.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
The battle of Ontario has been an intense series so far, despite the lopsided score at the moment, with the Toronto Maple Leafs up 3-1 against the Ottawa Senators. Both teams in the battle feature players who were recently in the black and gold.
For the Maple Leafs, they have defenseman Brandon Carlo, the Bruins’ second-round pick from the 2015 NHL Draft. He was dealt at the 2025 Deadline in exchange for Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. So far, the trade is working out for both sides as there is a lot of potential to be excited about with Minten and the draft picks, and Carlo has been a difference maker in Toronto. He’s been paired with Morgan Rielly, and they have some of the best stats of Maple Leafs defense pairings that have played over 200 minutes together this season.
The Senators have former Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, who was traded to the team last summer. Ottawa had been searching for a goalie who would be a real difference maker for the team and help them make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. From that aspect, mission accomplished. The former Vezina Trophy winner has not been in top form in 2024-25, posting a save percentage and goals-against average (GAA) below his career average. Still, even taking a step back, he’s been better than any goaltender they’ve had in recent seasons, helping them reach the postseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
For the second season in a row, the two Florida teams are meeting in the first round of the playoffs. The Florida Panthers currently lead the series 2-1. They’re also the team with the second-highest number of former Bruins on their roster. Most notable is, of course, Brad Marchand. After 16 seasons in Boston and assuming the captaincy in 2023-24, he was traded at the deadline for a 2027 conditional second-round pick. The pick becomes a first-round selection in either 2027 or 2028 if Florida wins two rounds of the playoffs and Marchand plays in at least 50% of the playoff games. That will certainly be something for Boston fans to keep an eye on this postseason. He’s played in every game so far, contributing an assist and is a plus-2.
Besides Marchand, former Bruins players also include AJ Greer and Tomas Nosek. Both were bottom-six players on Boston’s roster. Greer played with them in 2022-23 before moving onto the Calgary Flames after being put on waivers in Oct. 2023 by the Bruins. He then signed with the Panthers as a free agent this past summer. Nosek spent two seasons in Boston, 2021-2023. He signed with the New Jersey Devils as a free agent in 2023 and then signed with the Panthers in 2024. Neither player has appeared in the postseason yet, serving as healthy scratches.
While the Tampa Bay Lightning do not have any former Bruins on their roster, they do get a special call-out for having Conor Geekie, the younger brother of Morgan Geekie. The 20-year-old and first-round pick from the 2022 NHL Draft has split the season between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL), but is up for the postseason.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Taylor Hall was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-way trade back in January between the Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Colorado Avalanche that also sent Mikko Rantanen to Raleigh. While Rantanen did not last, Hall has been with the Hurricanes ever since. After spending two and a half seasons in Boston after arriving at the 2021 Trade Deadline, he was traded to Chicago to clear up cap space in 2023. In 31 regular season games for the Canes, he had eight goals and 18 points, and has two assists in three playoff games so far.
The Hurricanes also have former Bruin Dmitry Orlov. The defenseman was part of the flurry of deadline deals Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney made at the 2023 Trade Deadline. He appeared in 23 regular season games, registering 17 points, and was a major contributor in their first round series against the Panthers with eight assists in seven games. Due to their salary cap issues, though, Boston was unable to re-sign him, and he went to Carolina in the 2023 free agency. He’s averaged a little over 22 minutes of ice time in the postseason so far and has one assist in three games.
The New Jersey Devils boast the most former Bruins with four. They have Dougie Hamilton, who the Bruins drafted ninth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, the last time they had a top ten pick. He spent three seasons with Boston before being traded to the Flames after the 2014-15 season for a return that included one of the three infamous first-round picks Boston had in the 2015 Draft. Since then, he was traded again to Carolina in 2018 and then signed in New Jersey as a free agent in 2021.
Erik Haula spent one season in Boston, 2021-22, registering 18 goals and 44 points in 78 games. He is probably best remembered by Bruins fans as being part of the one-for-one trade with the Devils that brought Pavel Zacha to Boston. In three playoff games so far, he has one assist and is averaging 17:42 of ice time.
Curtis Lazar also arrived in Boston at the 2021 Trade Deadline with Hall from the Buffalo Sabres. He spent a season and a half in Boston, mainly being utilized in a bottom-six role. He left in the 2022 free agency, signing with the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to New Jersey.
Finally, Marc McLaughlin is the most recent former Bruin to join the Devils. The Massachusetts native signed with Boston as a college free agent in 2022 after four successful seasons at Boston College and an appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics. In three seasons with Boston, he never quite broke through to make the NHL full-time, though an argument could be made that the front office never really gave him proper chances. He was traded at the 2025 Deadline and has yet to appear in the postseason, but hopefully things work out for him in New Jersey better than they did in Boston.
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
Moving over to the Western Conference, both the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues technically have one former Bruin on their roster. Though in the case of the Blues, Torey Krug, their former Bruin, had season-ending surgery back in September and has not appeared in any games in 2024-25. The defenseman was signed as an undrafted free agent and spent eight seasons in Boston before signing with St. Louis in 2020 free agency.
For the Jets, they have Colin Miller. The 2015 NHL Draft once again makes an appearance here as Miller was part of the return from the Los Angeles Kings along with a 2015 first-round pick and goaltender Martin Jones for Milan Lucic. He made his NHL debut in 2015-16 and played two seasons in Boston, but was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft. The defenseman has been a journeyman ever since, playing for Vegas, Buffalo, the Dallas Stars, New Jersey, and now Winnipeg.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Even though it’s been over a decade since he last played for Boston, Tyler Seguin is still a former Bruin. He was the team’s second overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft and spent three seasons in Boston. He was part of the 2011 Stanley Cup championship team and seemed like he’d have a long future in the black and gold. Of course, that was not meant to be, and he was traded to the Stars in 2013 and has been with the franchise ever since. He was limited to only 20 games in the 2024-25 regular season due to hip surgery, but has returned for the postseason, and has been a game changer with his return.
While the Stars have the former Bruins player with the longest period since he last played in Boston, the Avalanche have a much more recent Boston departure in Charlie Coyle, who was part of the major changes made at this season’s deadline. Boston traded the Massachusetts native and a 2026 fifth-round pick out West in exchange for Casey Mittlestadt, William Zellers, and a 2025 second-round pick.
Coyle brings experience and depth to Colorado’s offense. While he struggled in 2024-25 like most of the Bruins’ roster, he is only one season removed from hitting a career high of 60 points in 2023-24. So far, he has one goal in three games this postseason.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild
Though it’s been a decade, Reilly Smith from the Golden Knights did spend two seasons early in his career in Boston. He was originally drafted by the Stars and spent his first two seasons there before being part of the 2013 Seguin trade, sending him to the Bruins. After a solid 2013-14 season that saw him hit 20 goals and 51 points in 82 games, he had a dip in production in 2014-15 and was traded to Florida in 2015 for Jimmy Hayes.
The Minnesota Wild have two former Bruins in Justin Brazeau and Marcus Johansson. Brazeau was another player dealt at the deadline this season. After working his way up through the ECHL and AHL, he made his NHL debut for Boston last season and found success. At one point this season, he had the third-highest points on the roster behind David Pastrnak and Marchand. He’s struggled so far in Minnesota, registering only two points in 19 games, but will hopefully turn it around in the postseason. So far, he has an assist in three playoff games.
Johansson, like Orlov, only had a short stint in Boston. But he was part of the 2018-19 Bruins’ team that made a Stanley Cup Final appearance. After being acquired at the trade deadline from New Jersey, he appeared in 10 regular season games where he had three points. His best contribution, though, came in the postseason, where he had four goals and 11 points in 22 games. After the Game 7 loss, he signed as a free agent with Buffalo, was then traded to Minnesota, signed with the Seattle Kraken, traded to the Capitals, where he began his career, and in 2022-23, was traded back to Minnesota.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
Finally, the last playoff series features two former Bruins. The Kings do not have any, but the Edmonton Oilers acquired Trent Frederic and Max Jones as part of a three-player deal earlier this season.
Jones, who struggled to break into the lineup in Boston, has found greater success in Edmonton due to a run of injuries, appearing in 19 regular season games. But he has yet to see the ice in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Frederic, who arrived in Edmonton dealing with a high-ankle sprain, did not make his Oilers debut until April 5. But he only played a little over seven minutes before he re-aggravated his injury and missed the rest of the regular season.
Frederic is back for the postseason, though, appearing in two playoff games so far and registering an assist in Game 1 that saw the Oilers lose a close 6-5 matchup where they battled back from being down 4-0. Hopefully, he can remain somewhat healthy and contribute the size and aggression the team was hoping he’d bring when they acquired him.
First Round Underway
Less than a week into the 2025 Postseason, and already a couple of teams are on the verge of being swept. While the Bruins remained in the hunt for a playoff spot a lot longer than their play may have indicated, it is probably better for them in the long run to have missed it this season and get a wake-up call versus sliding into the first round and most likely facing a quick elimination.
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Make sure to check out The Hockey Writers throughout the 2025 NHL Playoffs to see how all your favorite former Bruins are doing with their respective teams.
