Will Boston be in the mix for McKenna next year?

With the NHL offseason hitting a lull, we reached out to Bruins followers on social media for all questions associated to the native hockey staff.

Let’s dive into our full Bruins offseason mailbag of the yr:

Q: Other than James Hagens, which Bruins prospect is probably the most intriguing participant for you on this upcoming season? — @Marcussi_MA

Thanks for the query! So far as prospects who may make a reliable impression on the NHL degree in 2025-26, I’m all in on Fraser Minten. You may’t discover a scout or expertise evaluator who received’t speak up his on/off-ice strategy, mature sport, and coachability.

Undecided if he’s a man you may pencil in for 20 objectives and 50 factors per yr at his peak, however he has all of the makings of a fixture at 3C transferring ahead. I believe there’s lots to love about his sport and what he tasks to be on the NHL degree.

So far as prospects additional down the timeline, I’d be very to see how Will Zellers fares as a freshman on the College of North Dakota. If he can proceed to land punches within the offensive zone after a breakout yr within the USHL (44 objectives in 52 video games), the Bruins might need a reliable scoring winger who can slot right into a middle-six position within the coming years. I used to be actually impressed together with his sport throughout Growth Camp.

Q: Ought to they tank once more with an opportunity of drafting a generational expertise like McKenna?  If that’s the case, who will get dealt on the deadline? — @Bostonguy67

As evidenced by the 2015 NHL Draft the place a blatantly tanking Sabres staff misplaced the Connor McDavid sweepstakes, or a 2025 NHL Draft the place the Islanders leapfrogged a number of groups to get Matthew Schaefer, I don’t suppose it helps any franchise to deliberately tank in hopes of touchdown the No. 1 prospect on the board, even an elite offensive expertise like Gavin McKenna.

Whereas I believe there’s a sound case that the Bruins can bounce again and be a fringe Wild-Card staff this yr if their goaltending/protection rebounds and at the very least their energy play exhibits indicators of life, you may simply as simply mission Boston to be within the working for one more top-10 choose in 2026 if the evident flaws on this staff (particularly 5-on-5 scoring) resurface.

If that’s the case, the Bruins needs to be ready to land at the very least one blue-chip prospect in what’s a a lot deeper 2026 draft, past even McKenna.

If the Bruins do dump some property subsequent deadline, I might not be stunned to see gamers like Viktor Arvidsson, Andrew Peeke, and Pavel Zacha dangled out in the marketplace.

Q: Is that this lastly the yr that the youth motion will get to show their value? — @WhitebreadZack

Speaking to Marco Sturm earlier this month, the Bruins’ new head coach appeared to sign that he desires to include extra kids into the lineup.

In fact, that’s simpler stated than carried out on a lineup that’s abruptly chock-full of bottom-six NHLers.

One of many priorities for the Bruins in what might be a bridge season needs to be to get some readability on which prospects knocking on the door for NHL reps are literally going to be a part of this subsequent core.

On Boston’s third line, I’d prefer to see at the very least two of these spots allotted to a younger middle (Minten, maybe Poitras) and a winger with offensive upside — be it Fabian Lysell or a free-agent pickup like Matej Blumel.

Q: One contract you can undo below Sweeney? Mine is as a substitute of giving Ullmark the NTC [no-trade clause], signal him for regardless of the extra worth of the clause could be in AAV (assuming Boston was nonetheless his largest suitor that offseason) and stop him from blocking a commerce again in ’24. — @WFozz96

Good query! Ullmark’s NTC did complicate issues, however I believe his outright play in internet for Boston — coupled with a really digestible $5 million cap hit — nonetheless made it an important contract in my e book.

I’d go along with David Backes, who signed a five-year, $30 million deal again in July 2016. Backes is a good man and a longtime veteran chief, however he wasn’t value that price ticket, particularly together with his manufacturing already declining. He ended up solely scoring 39 objectives and 94 factors throughout 217 video games with Boston.

Not solely did Boston primarily need to cough up a 2020 first-round choose to get his contract off the books, however that $6 million cap hit may have been utilized elsewhere throughout a number of the ultimate years of the Bergeron-Krejci-Chara-Rask competition window.

It was telling that Backes and his sizable cap hit was a wholesome scratch for Sport 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Last towards his former staff.

Q: Previous few years I’ve been listening to a number of reward for PJ Axelsson for scouting European prospects. Do you have got any relationship with him, and what would possibly make him an important scout? — @KumihoKirA

Haven’t had the pleasure of assembly Axelsson, who additionally spends quite a lot of time over seasons because the staff’s European Scouting Coordinator.

Axelsson and the remainder of Boston’s scouting workers have had a knack over the previous couple of years for figuring out some expertise and worth additional down within the draft order — particularly on the subject of different Swedish merchandise like Oskar Jellvik (fifth spherical, 2021) and Loke Johansson (sixth spherical, 2024).

Q: For the primary time in a very long time, they’ve a reliable prime prospect. How do they finest develop him with out losing Pastrnak’s prime? — @northernwreck

It’s a fragile balancing act for the Bruins when it comes to patiently seeing this rebuild/retool by means of and restocking their prospect pool … whereas additionally not negating the prime years of gamers like Pastrnak (29 years previous), McAvoy (27), and Swayman (26).

So far as James Hagens, I believe the suitable transfer for Boston in 2025-26 is to ship him again to BC for one more season.

Quite than have him take his lumps in what might be a bridge yr on the NHL degree, I’d quite Hagens return to Chesnut Hill as the highest canine, dominate on the collegiate degree with out deferring to linemates like Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, after which make the leap to the NHL ranks in March or April after the Eagles season is over.

This yr could be one other painful one for Boston.

However, if the Bruins enter 2026-27 with Hagens prepared for a featured position, one other prime prospect (or two) added within the ‘26 drafts, prospects like Zellers, Moore, Locmelis, etc. on the way, and much more assets (draft picks, cap area) at their disposal, the longer term might be vibrant in Boston after two poor seasons.

Q: Do you suppose the Bruins will commerce [Joonas Korpisalo] at some level this yr? — @anquiro_jm

Thanks for the query! We acquired a number of questions associated to the way forward for Joonas Korpisalo and Michael DiPietro. 

As I noted earlier this offseason, discovering a taker for Korpisalo’s contract would seemingly be an efficient little bit of cap administration by Boston — particularly with Michael DiPietro again on a 2-year deal.

With Korpisalo’s contract ($3 million cap hit paid by Boston over the following three years) being a bit simpler to soak up for different groups given the surging cap ceiling, I wouldn’t be stunned to see the Bruins proceed to pursue a commerce.

In the end, all of it would possibly come all the way down to how DiPietro fares in camp. If he struggles, I don’t suppose the Bruins have any qualms with rolling with Korpisalo once more (hence why I have him in my Opening Night projected lineup).

However, if DiPietro continues to appear to be the true deal this fall, I wouldn’t be stunned to see the Bruins as soon as once more revisit the commerce marketplace for Korpisalo as a way to clear some cap room and make room for the youthful goalie. 

Q: Is the present roster the identical one we see opening evening? — @shawn_rajotte

Barring a possible goalie commerce involving Korpisalo’s contract, I count on this to be the roster Boston strikes ahead with in 2025-26.

There are nonetheless a number of intriguing gamers who’ve been listed in commerce rumors like Marco Rossi or a free agent like Evgeny Kuznetsov, however I’m undecided if the Bruins are inclined to maneuver extra draft picks / prospects this summer season earlier than seeing what precisely they’ve this season in what would possibly already be a bridge yr. 

Q: Any perception on a participant like Marco Rossi being linked to the Bruins? They don’t sound like they’re very shut in Minnesota to getting a deal carried out. — @Camo0123

Nice minds suppose alike, Shawn! I believe Rossi is a really intriguing 2C participant whose dimension would possibly concern some, but the production is there for a skilled pivot.

I nonetheless suppose the Bruins ideally need to keep away from transferring any of their draft picks for the following few years as a way to put this present flawed roster ready to contend in what might be a bridge yr.

That is probably not what Bruins followers need to hear, however I wouldn’t be stunned if the Bruins view this as a yr the place they *suppose* they will proper the ship by stabilizing their protection and goaltending. 

However, if that optimism doesn’t result in precise outcomes, I additionally suppose the Bruins are comfortably staying the course, buying extra picks and utilizing this bridge season to correctly assess which NHLers (Mittelstadt, and so forth.) and prospects (Poitras, Minten, Lysell) might be a part of this subsequent competition window earlier than being extra aggressive subsequent offseason as soon as guys like Hagens are able to contribute.

Q: Who will rating 20+ objectives subsequent yr? — @sfdwyer

I’m going to go along with Pastrnak (42 objectives), Morgan Geekie (27 objectives), and Elias Lindholm (21 objectives). That’s all effectively and good, though all three are additionally on the identical line.

The large query is the place the scoring goes to come back from additional down the depth chart, particularly within the backside six.

The Bruins would love for Arvissson to click on with a playmaking middle like Mittelstadt and somebody like Matej Blumel turning into the following Justin Brazeau as a 15-20 purpose scorer. Nonetheless, that each one could be wishful pondering.

Q: If the Bruins may have only one participant added to their roster proper now, which participant would that be and why? – @Patrice_Carson

Connor McDavid.

Jokes apart (undecided he’s leaving Edmonton), I believe a participant the Bruins desperately want is one other reliable all-situations, top-line middle.

If he hits the open market, the Bruins ought to throw the bag at Jack Eichel subsequent offseason. Nonetheless, even together with his native ties as a North Chelmsford native, I’m undecided Eichel desires to go away a snug spot with a contender in Vegas — particularly now that he might be skating with Mitch Marner the following eigtht years.

Being a bit extra practical, I wouldn’t be stunned to see them preserve tabs on Martin Necas going into the ultimate yr of his cope with Colorado.

(Have a query you need answered in our subsequent mailbag? Ship them alongside to [email protected], or tweet at me at @ConorRyan_93).

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author overlaying the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Purple Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.