The second full week of June means that NHL offseason is another week closer to heating up. The Stanley Cup Final is three games in with the Vegas Golden Knights leading the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1, after an overtime on Saturday night. Game 4 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
As far as the rest of the NHL teams who had their season end either at the end of the regular season or in the playoffs, the planning has begun for the 2026-27 season with the goal to be where the Golden Knights and Hurricanes are.
As far as the Boston Bruins are concerned, if they are going to get back to the postseason, then some roster turnover must happen. The problem that is facing general manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely is that the free agent market is drying up and the Bruins might not be able to fill a need that way. Instead, they'll have to do it through a trade or two. Neely made it clear on Monday that he would be willing to do that.
Bruins president Cam Neely open to improving the team through trades this offseason
At his annual Cam Neely Invitational charity golf tournament at Charles River Country Club on Monday, Neely didn't beat around the bush about improving his team through a trade.
“I’m all about being aggressive if it’s going to help us today, tomorrow and the next day, for sure,” Neely said. “We know where our core group is. We’d certainly like to add and give them another opportunity to kick at the can. Last year was a good stepping stone, but we still have work to do.”
Being aggressive is something that the Bruins must do this offseason if they want to be in the mix for a playoff berth next spring. The conference is going to get better and be deeper with a team like the Florida Panthers expected to be better and healthier. Also, expect the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens to make moves to get better.
By now, it's clearly known that the Bruins need a center, wing and a right-shot upgrade on defense. If they expect to be a playoff team again next season, they need to address at least one, if not two to remain a team that can finish in the Top 8 next year in the Eastern Conference. Neely and Sweeney need to strike this offseason and sooner rather than later.
