Bruins must solve these two critical problems this offseason to avoid disaster

The Boston Bruins are turning inward this offseason, looking to rebuild core parts of their game after a season that exposed serious flaws in both goal scoring and defensive reliability.

A steep fall in scoring left the Bruins leaning too heavily on Pastrnak 

There’s no hiding the Bruins’ drop in offensive production.

After ranking 13th in league-wide goal scoring the year before, Boston slid to 28th this past season, a fall that can’t be explained away by bad luck.

Much of the dip came after the club traded away key contributors, leaving David Pastrnak to carry the scoring load almost entirely on his own. The winger still put up 43 goals, but beyond him, the support wasn’t consistent.

Brad Marchand chipped in when healthy, while Morgan Geekie stepped up more than expected. Still, the scoring depth wasn’t there. Without enough speed, accuracy, or puck control, the team often struggled to generate anything dangerous.

Other teams continuously apply pressure on us because the boys turn the puck over due to our poor puck handling, and the cycle continues. Pressure us mercilessly up and down the ice because we will inevitably turn the puck over.

The puck handling issues became a glaring weakness. Boston couldn’t hold possession under pressure, and it turned neutral-zone play into a nightmare. When you’re constantly chasing the game, it shows.

Swayman’s numbers slipped, but defensive lapses played a part

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman is still seen as a foundational piece, but his numbers took a hit this year.

His save percentage dipped to .892%, the first time in his NHL career he finished below .900%.

That stat alone doesn’t define his season, but it reflects a broader issue: Swayman was exposed far too often.

Defensively, the Bruins showed more physicality at times, and new additions helped tighten the structure late in the year. But lapses remained. And when coverage broke down, it usually ended with Swayman facing a high-danger shot he had no business saving.

He has the tools to rebound. But he’ll need the players in front of him to limit the chaos.

Back to basics: Bruins focused on execution, not excuses

What’s next? The answers aren’t flashy, but they’re necessary.

The Bruins need to improve the basics—zone exits, puck support, clean transitions, and pressure reads. Those details were missing far too often. They don’t need to overhaul the roster. They need to clean up the game they already know how to play.

This summer won’t be about buzz. It’ll be about fixing what cracked.

And if they do that, the Bruins might not be far from getting back to where they were.