Bruins Add Scoring Punch, Shore Up Blue Line for 2026-27

The Bruins finished fourth in the Atlantic with 100 points in 2025-26, then made smart moves to address their most glaring needs. They added a legitimate top-six winger in JJ Peterka and brought back Connor Clifton while adding Ilya Lyubushkin on defense. The offseason would rate higher if they had locked up Pavel Zacha, whose extension talks remain unresolved.

Last season in review

Boston scored 272 goals and allowed 250, a plus-22 goal differential that reflects a balanced team but not a dominant one. David Pastrnak reached 100 points (29 goals, 71 assists) and Morgan Geekie broke out with 39 goals and 68 points. Pavel Zacha added 30 goals and 65 points. The top line carried the offense, but the drop-off after those three was steep. Jeremy Swayman posted a 31-18-4 record with a .908 save percentage, solid but not elite. The Bruins were good enough to make the playoffs but lacked the firepower to go deep.

Ins and outs

• In: JJ Peterka (acquired in trade from Buffalo)
• In: Connor Clifton (signed as a free agent, 2 years)
• In: Ilya Lyubushkin (acquired in trade from Buffalo)
• In: Brendan Gaunce (two-way contract)
• In: Brian Halonen (two-way contract)
• In: Maxence Guenette (two-way contract)
• In: Jiri Patera (two-way contract)
• Out: Joonas Korpisalo (traded to New York Rangers)

The big question

Can the Bruins get Pastrnak more help? Peterka is a proven scorer who should ease the burden, but if Zacha walks or Geekie regresses from his career year, Boston could be right back where it started. The supporting cast beyond the top line remains thin.

X-factor

JJ Peterka. The 24-year-old winger gives Boston a legitimate second scoring threat alongside Pastrnak. If he clicks in Boston's system and produces at the rate he did in Buffalo, the Bruins suddenly have a balanced attack. If he struggles to adjust or gets buried on the depth chart, the offseason additions won't move the needle.

Bold prediction

The Bruins finish second in the Atlantic Division. Peterka's arrival and a healthy Swayman push them past one of Tampa Bay or Toronto, and they win a playoff round for the first time since 2023.

The outlook

Boston did what it needed to do. The Peterka trade gives Pastrnak a running mate, and the blue line got deeper with Clifton and Lyubushkin. The Zacha situation looms large, but if they can lock him up or find a suitable replacement, this is a team that should challenge for home ice in the first round. They open September 29 at TD Garden against the Rangers with a roster built to win now.