It might be surprising to see a team like the Boston Bruins with so much hope. Before the NHL Trade Deadline, the Bruins looked like a hopeless team, which led to a fire sale. Trent Frederic was the first longtime member to head out of town, joining the Edmonton Oilers days before the deadline. 

The deadline was quiet most of the day before Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo went to the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, they saved the best (or worst) for last, trading captain Brad Marchand to the hated Florida Panthers.

The Bruins had a limited prospect pool before the deadline, but Don Sweeney’s work helped that significantly. Boston added Casey Mittelstadt, Jakub Lauko, Marat Khusnutdinov, William Zellers, Fraser Minten, Henri Jokiharju, a 2026 first-round pick, three second-round picks, two fourth-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and a sixth-round pick.

Mittelstadt brings a high ceiling that he hasn’t fully discovered. Lauko brings some familiarity, while Khusnutdinov, Zellers, and Minten are young players who could become great pieces. The Bruins can also never have too many draft picks, and the 2026 first-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs is an interesting piece, considering they could lose some significant pieces of their core in the offseason and look completely different if they don’t make a deep playoff run.

The Marchand deal was a shot in the heart to many Bruins fans. However, recent reports that he searched for $7.5 million annually over three years brings some clarity and reality to the situation. Marchand hasn’t been the same player, coming from three off-season surgeries. He’s a nostalgic piece, but paying him that much over the next three years could’ve turned bad quickly.

New Bruins core emerges after loss of Brad Marchand

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) and defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) after scoring the game winning goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at Enterprise Center.
© Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Maybe the Bruins and their fans were holding on to the past too much. Boston turned back the clock in the last season of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s career but crashed and burned in the postseason. The prospect pool showed a team that should’ve rebuilt, but they tried to extend the competitive window over the past two seasons by adding players and hoping something would stick. It didn’t, which led to the ultimate teardown at the deadline.

The Bruins have one advantage over other teams heading into this rebuild/retool: they already have elite, prime-aged players at every position. David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman each have long-term deals, which is an unbelievable kickstart to the next era for the Bruins. It’d be wise not to go on a long rebuild and ruin their primes, but Don Sweeney and co. can get things turned around quickly with the right moves.