Bruins Wave White Flag On Season

The Boston Bruins were the biggest sellers at this year's NHL Trade Deadline. The team parted with their captain, Brad Marchand, in an organizational shift. They also traded away top-four defenseman Brandon Carlo, veteran center Charlie Coyle, and rugged winger Justin Brazeau in separate deals. In return, the Bruins landed multiple draft picks and an impressive prospect in Fraser Minten.

The moves made it clear that the Bruins are waving the white flag this season. Despite being three points behind the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins believe they are out of the playoff race.

It may not be easy to accept, but this was the right move for the Bruins. Since the offseason, Boston has faced nothing but roadblocks and issues. They signed Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to massive contracts in free agency, but neither player has been a difference-maker. They couldn't agree to an extension with goalie Jeremy Swayman, forcing their focus in the weeks before the start of the season on hammering out this deal.

Then, they struggled out of the gate while the rest of the Atlantic Division passed them by. When they should have addressed their roster shortcomings in the first months of the season, management chose poorly and let them play through it.

At the deadline, management finally figured it out. With no real shot at the Stanley Cup and a core that consists of three players who are between the ages of 26 and 29, the long-term championship outlook for this organization is not as hopeful as they'd like.

So, they sold assets. It stings, especially for the locker room and the Bruins' devoted fan base. But, if the Bruins are truly going to move forward and become contenders in the future, this was the first step. They needed to wave the white flag on 2024-2025, regroup, and move forward with a plan to rebuild on the fly.