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Jeremy Swayman has been the Boston Bruins’ No. 1 goalie this season, but he’s had his fair-share of struggles amid the journey to 100 career NHL victories. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

2 Bruins Who Need to Step Up Next Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Ventura | Last updated May 31, 2025 10:35 AM ET

The Boston Bruins needed help across the board this past season. From offense and defense to goaltending and special teams, they regressed from what we are used to seeing from the perennial contender. They ended the season in the basement of the Atlantic Division, and, to make matters worse, they have several players who underperformed and are on long-term deals. Let’s take a look at a few players who need to step up for the Bruins in 2025-26.

Jeremy Swayman

The Bruins’ return to relevance next season hinges on nobody more than their star netminder Jeremy Swayman . In recent seasons, the Bruins have gone as far as Swayman has been able to carry them. That rang most true in the 2024 postseason when he stood on his head, willing them through the first round of the playoffs and to two wins against the Florida Panthers in the second round. He had earned himself a contract, and after a holdout that lasted virtually the entire offseason, the Bruins gave him one for eight years.

Whether it was the fact that he did not have an offseason, the added workload in the absence of Linus Ullmark, or simply just a slump, Swayman did not play up to his standard this season. He regressed in just about every statistical category, and over the course of the campaign, he had multiple ugly outings sprinkled in. The Bruins will not be contenders if he does not turn this performance around. They paid their goalie to be a perennial Vezina Trophy contender, which is what they should expect out of him. If Swayman looks like his 2023-24 self, the Bruins will likely be right back in the Atlantic Division playoff picture. However, if he looks like his 2024-25 self, they will struggle to stay afloat as they did this season.

Elias Lindholm

Elias Lindholm is another player the Bruins signed to a lengthy contract last offseason, signing for seven years and $54.3 million. They were desperate for a top-six center following the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci during the 2023 offseason, and he was supposed to be that. On top of being sound defensively, Lindholm is an offensive weapon when he is at his best, putting up 82 points in as many games for the Calgary Flames in 2021-22. While he was unable to match that number in the following two seasons, the Bruins hoped that pairing him with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand would help him return to his peak. Thus far, they have been wrong.

Lindholm was a solid two-way player for the Bruins in 2024-25, but not nearly good enough offensively to match the amount the Bruins are paying him. His poor play was part of the reason the Bruins scored just 2.71 goals per game this past season. He has the chance to resurrect his career in Boston, given that he has the opportunity to play alongside Pastrnak and a forward group that will likely improve this offseason. That said, for a center to be making north of $7 million annually, he has not lived up to expectations thus far. The Bruins will need him to step up his play in 2025-26.

Improvement Needed

There was no shortage of players on the 2024-25 Bruins who underperformed; however, these two stand out given that they are expected to be a major part of the reason that the Bruins are winning games. This season, they were unable to do that. Both players are on long-term deals, and the Bruins will need them to step up their play if they hope to be in contention next season.