The centennial season for the Boston Bruins has come and gone. It was filled with much joy and celebration, as they had era nights celebrating the history of the organization. One of the most memorable ones was when the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team was in the building, making a nice trip down memory lane. However, the ride is over and the Bruins season is finished. Despite a strong push in Game 5 to force Game 6, the late heroics by Gustav Forsling sent the Bruins home in heartbreaking fashion. However, this season was far from a disappointment and should not be looked at as such.
The Bruins lost cornerstone pieces in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci due to retirement, but also traded a key player in Taylor Hall. Losing key pieces like that is tough to come back from, but the Bruins ultimately prevailed. In what looked to be a bridge year turned into much more than that.
General manager (GM) Don Sweeney made numerous lower-budget signings, such as Danton Heinen, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, and Kevin Shattenkirk. For the most part, all those guys played key roles in the Bruins’ successful season, where they finished second in the Atlantic Division with 109 points. But a crucial offseason awaits.
The Bruins have key players that are going to be free agents, but Sweeney will have $22 million to spend. But where does the team go from here and what should be the priority for the summer? Let’s dive in.
Locking Up Jeremy Swayman
The transition from Tuukka Rask to the next in line has been smooth and easy. Even though it has been primarily used as a tandem, the Bruins have found out who their goalie of the future is. Jeremy Swayman has put to bed any questions as to who should be the number one goalie. That’s not a sleight to his best friend Linus Ullmark, but this postseason run has solidified that he is number one. Head coach Jim Montgomery opted to not utilize the tandem and it’s safe to say that paid off. Swayman made 12 starts for the Bruins and finished with a .933 save percentage (SV%). Furthermore, he finished the postseason allowing two or fewer goals in nine of the 12 starts. That’s what you want to see out of your number one goalie and he delivered. He should be the top priority for the Bruins and the first contract they lock up this offseason.
Given the state of the team and what the Bruins could aim to accomplish with this core group, riding with the younger goaltender gives them years of being competitive and getting the…
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