The Boston Bruins are on the brink of elimination from the 2024 NHL Playoffs. After winning Game 1 against the Florida Panthers in dominant fashion, they have lost three consecutive, scoring just five goals along the way. The Panthers have been able to expose a gap in the Bruins roster that they must address this offseason: the lack of a legitimate top-line goalscorer outside of David Pastrnak.
Bruins’ Offensive Struggles
The Bruins experienced difficulty finding the back of the net this postseason before their tilt with Florida: they failed to score more than two goals in each of the final three games of their first round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. In all, they have scored two goals or fewer in six of their last seven games. While they were able to ride the stellar play of netminder Jeremy Swayman past the Maple Leafs, it is simply impossible to find serious success in the playoffs scoring at such a low rate.
These struggles, while unfortunate, may not come as a surprise to some. The departures of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Taylor Hall after last season led to a depleted forward group compared to the explosive 2022-23 roster. As a result, the team averaged nearly a half goal per game fewer this campaign than last. In 2022-23, eight members of the Bruins reached the 50-point mark; that number shrunk to four in 2023-24. On top of the lost production, the departure of these players meant that teams could single out Pastrnak, as they had fewer threats to worry about in the black and gold. His numbers regressed, scoring 14 fewer goals this regular season than last.
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Pastrnak has outwardly struggled at times this postseason. Teams have targeted him physically, and he has been unable to take over games like we have seen him do in the past. Adding another scoring threat to play alongside their star right winger would take some of the pressure off and make it more difficult for opponents to stymie the Bruins’ top line.
Players to Target
The Bruins have several options to address this need, the most obvious being through free agency. Five players who are set to become unrestricted free agents in the 2024 offseason scored 30 or more goals in 2023-24: Sam Reinhart (57), Jonathan Marchessault (42), Steven Stamkos (40), Tyler Toffoli (33), and Jake Guentzel (30). With a considerable amount of cap space set to roll in, the team should be able to target at least one of them if they so choose.
Reinhart will command a massive contract given that he scored more goals than anyone in the league besides Auston Matthews this season. The Bruins should steer clear of him: 24% of his shots found the back of the net in 2023-24, a rate that is more likely than not unsustainable. That combined with the fact that he will be the top free agent on the market is a recipe for an overpay, not to mention the bad blood between the Bruins and just about every current member of the Panthers.
That leaves Marchessault, Stamkos, Toffoli, and Guentzel. All four of these players are veterans who have made a considerable amount of money in their NHL careers thus far and will likely be looking to join a contender like the Bruins. Each of them would make an immediate impact in Boston, however there is an obvious choice. Guentzel is the only player of the bunch that the Bruins should consider signing to a long-term deal. He is younger than the other three and has been a consistent contributor throughout his NHL career, first as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and then as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, who acquired him at the trade deadline this season.
A left shot, Guentzel has scored 30 or more goals in each of the past four seasons and has averaged nearly a point per game during that stretch. Perhaps the most exciting part about him is that he elevates his play in the postseason: in his last two playoff appearances, he has 12 goals and 19 points in 16 games. Guentzel would make an immediate impact in Boston and is a player that the Bruins would feel great about signing to a long-term deal.
Top Offseason Priority for Bruins
Acquiring an elite scorer this offseason should be the Bruins’ top priority. Guentzel would be the top prize in free agency, but if not, these other three players would address the need in the short term as well. The other option would be to acquire a goalscorer via trade. While the Bruins do not have a lot of trade capital with a lack of picks in the upcoming NHL Drafts, they may look to move last season’s Vezina-winning goaltender Linus Ullmark, a player who would command a nice return if they decide to go that route. No matter how they go about it, they must address this need before next season if they hope to contend in what will likely be a loaded Eastern Conference once again.