Boston Bruins 2024/25 Odds: Stanley Cup, Conference, Regular Season Points & More

Rusty Gorelick Updated: Oct 07 2024 20:00

The Boston Bruins enter the 2024/25 NHL season with questions surrounding their forward group, but they still have a talented group that's capable of competing with the league's best.

The Bruins traded 2022/23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, which signified that Boston was fully committed to Jeremy Swayman as the No. 1 goalie after his stellar playoff performances.

But Swayman entered training camp without a new contract and the parties were at a stalemate after Bruins general manager Don Sweeney publicly expressed his frustration at the slow pace of negotiations.

Luckily for the club, Swayman signed two days before Boston's season opener against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Plus, the Bruins allowed stalwart winger Jake DeBrusk to leave this offseason. Elias Lindholm, the experienced center with a high ceiling but inconsistent output who the Bruins signed in free agency, will be tasked with replacing DeBrusk's production.

Boston still has David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha, and they all can be relied upon for plenty of points. Joonas Korpisalo, who the Bruins got in return for Ullmark, should be a fine backup to Swayman, and the defensive pairings are very solid.

The Bruins project to be a playoff team this season, but how far they go depends on whether Marchand can keep finding the net at 36 years old, which version of Lindholm the team gets, and Swayman getting into midseason form quickly.