The Boston Bruins have been a staple of the Eastern Conference dominance for years, but after a chaotic trade deadline, things feel… different. With major roster shifts—including the emotional departure of longtime captain Brad Marchand—Boston now finds itself in a heated playoff race with no guarantees.
And if we are to look at the current NHL standings, then the Boston Bruins are placed second last in the Atlantic Division with 68 points in 66 games. Out of which, they have managed to win 30 games, while losing 28 games with 8 overtime losses. As the standings tighten, hockey insiders aren’t convinced the Bruins will be able to hold their ground.
NHL analysts Brian Boyle and Mike Rupp recently ranked the teams fighting for a playoff spot, and neither had Boston at the top. Instead, they both placed the Rangers as the clear favorites to secure a spot, with teams like Detroit, Montreal, and the Islanders also making a strong case. But where does that leave the Bruins?
While some fans initially saw Boston’s trade deadline moves as a strategic shake-up, the bigger picture is starting to look more concerning. After all, it is now a team without their captain Brad Marchand, who left after 16 seasons to be with the Florida Panthers. And in return, Boston received a conditional second-round draft pick in 2027, which might turn into a first-draft pick in 2028 depending on the Panthers’ playoff performance.
Then, it was Charlie Coyle who was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Casy Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers and the Carolina Hurricanes’ second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Another move by Boston was to send Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exachange for Fraser Minten, a first round-pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Lastly, another trade worth mentioning this season was of Trent Frederic, who made his way to the Edmonton Oilers in a three team trade, involving New Jersey Devils. Here, the Bruins received defensemean Max Wanner, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. How these trades will work out, only time will tell. But from the looks of it, the hockey insiders aren’t pleased.
Boyle ranked the Bruins third in playoff likelihood, while Rupp had them even lower at fourth—suggesting that the Bruins are on thin ice. And rightfully so, the concern isn’t just about losing Marchand—it’s about whether Boston actually improved enough to stay ahead of the competition. I mean, we all just saw their stats! While they did pick up prospects and future draft picks, those aren’t helping them in the short term. Meanwhile, teams like Montreal and Detroit have surged late in the season, putting serious pressure on the Bruins’ wildcard spot.
These five teams currently find themselves just outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.@BriBrows22 and @Rupper17 rank them based on how likely they are to sneak into a playoff spot. pic.twitter.com/UEx8Vr0isw
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 13, 2025
Adding fuel to the fire, Boston’s offensive inconsistency and defensive struggles have only heightened skepticism. Without a true game-changer in the lineup, can they really hold off these surging teams?
Playoff berth or miss: Can they make it?
Rupp, in particular, was skeptical about Boston’s chances, ranking them fourth behind Rangers, Montreal and the Islanders. That is a drastic flip in opinion—Boston, once a cinch for the playoffs, is now fighting in a congested Eastern Conference.
For Bruins loyalists, reality is starting to set in. Boston has one of the tougher schedules remaining, and all points are going to be important in the push down the stretch. The team’s survival is likely to rest in the hands of goaltending—with Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo likely having to carry the load of a roster that has diminished firepower. With minimal margin for error in the standings, however, the Bruins cannot afford to stumble.
But all might not be lost on the franchise just yet, as they put a good performance recently that had the TD Garden cheering their loudest. And what made the 3-2 victory even more special was the fact that it came against an opponent that took their captain away, and dashed their playoffs hope for the past two seasons!
Oh, what a comeback it was from the two-goal deficit! The Bruins managed to score three times in the span of 7:47 in the third period to end their opponent’s six-game winning streak. Cherry on top, you may ask? It happened to be their second consecutive win after losing three games straight.
And if defenseman Nikita Zadorov’s words are to live by, then, Bruins fans, there is still hope. The 29-year-old said, “There’s no quit in this team, and we’re going to keep pushing until the end. We’re just trying to build the momentum we haven’t had the whole year. I think you get a couple wins, you start feeling great, you feel confident inside the group. I think that’s a good thing.”
They can still find a way in, yes. After all, “something is brewing.” But the pressure is now, and if the analysts’ predictions hold, Boston might very well be left outside when all is said and done.
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