The Boston Bruins made it back to the playoffs in 2026, which was a win for a front office that chose to retool rather than rebuild. But that first-round exit in six games made something clear: the Bruins aren’t quite ready to hang with the East’s elite. And if they want to close that gap, they’ll need to make the right moves this summer.
There’s plenty to like about this roster. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are still top-tier at their positions. Jeremy Swayman bounced back in a big way, especially down the stretch, and he might be the most important piece on the team right now. But here’s the thing — Swayman was great because he had to be. Boston allowed the fifth-most shots per game in the NHL last season, while generating the 21st-most shots for. That’s a recipe for wearing out your goaltender.
The team did finish 10th in goals per game, which shows they can finish when they get chances. But they don’t get enough of them. The Bruins need more pucks on net, whether that comes from a shot-blocking defenseman or a volume-shooting forward. That’s where free agency comes in.
One name that fits the bill: Anthony Mantha.
Mantha’s Career Year in Pittsburgh
Mantha just wrapped up a standout season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring a career-high 33 goals. That made him the team’s only 30-goal scorer, with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust right behind at 29 each. For a guy who looked like he was fading after an injury-riddled stint with Calgary, this was a serious rebound.
The reason Mantha might be available? Consistency has never been his strong suit. He went through multiple dry spells last season, including an 11-game goal drought in January, and he went scoreless in Pittsburgh’s first-round loss to Philadelphia. Still, he’s coming off a better season than Viktor Arvidsson was when the Bruins signed him last summer — and Arvidsson worked out well enough that Boston might lose him to free agency now.
If Arvidsson walks, Mantha is the most logical replacement. He’s a right-shot winger with size, he can score, and he might be open to a shorter-term deal to prove his 33-goal season wasn’t a fluke. The Bruins took a similar swing on Arvidsson after a down year in Edmonton. Taking that same kind of bet on Mantha makes sense.
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