2016 NHL offseason outlook: Boston Bruins

2015-16 Season Review

The Bruins had a disappointing season in 2015-16. Despite buying at the trade deadline, they finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with one less combined regulation and overtime win than the Detroit Red Wings. They had issues all season long that were never fixed and it cost them a playoff berth.

Boston was led in 2015-16 by their two top forwards, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The dynamic duo are usually known more for their defense and all-around play as opposed to their offense, but they made it a point to change that perception this season. Marchand led the team in scoring with a career-high 37 goals in 77 games while Bergeron led the team with 68 points (32 goals and 36 assists) in 80 games. Loui Eriksson had a 30 goal season with 63 points to set himself up for a nice new contract this summer as a free agent.

Torey Krug had 44 points to lead the Bruins blue line and was their best defenseman all year long. Zdeno Chara (37 points in 80 games) had a fine season, but he started to show his age and he isn’t the dominant shutdown defenseman that he used to be. It certainly didn’t help that his two most common partners were Zach Trotman and Kevan Miller. That has to change if the Bruins are going to contend in 2016-17.

Tuukka Rask had arguably the worst season of his career, but it wasn’t completely his fault. To be fair, his defense was terrible at best and Boston relied far too heavily on him at times.

Next: Offseason Needs