3 turning points that derailed Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season ft. firing Jim Montgomery

3 turning points that derailed Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season ft. firing Jim Montgomery

3 turning points that derailed Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season ft. firing Jim Montgomery

The Boston Bruins’ disappointing 2024-25 season left extra query marks than solutions. The crew hasn’t fairly admitted it’s going by means of a rebuild. But it surely hasn’t fairly gone by means of a roster retool.

It appears as if the Bruins are in a kind of suspended animation heading into the 2025-26 season. That state of affairs is due largely to 3 turning points this previous season, which derailed the Boston Bruins’ 2024-25 season.

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the turning points which led to probably the most disappointing seasons within the Boston Bruins’ latest historical past.

3 turning points that derailed Boston Bruins’ 2024-25 season

3. Swayman contract holdout

The 2024-25 season started with an surprising goaltending fiasco. The Bruins moved out Linus Ullmark final season because the membership was trying to anoint Jeremy Swayman as its new starter.

Nevertheless, Swayman was an RFA and didn’t signal straight away. Each the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman opted to cross on arbitration, leaving the 2 sides below stress to work one thing out.

It wasn’t till coaching camp started that Swayman finally ended up signing a brand new eight-year contract. The time Swayman missed from coaching camp ended up impacting his play. Whereas Swayman rebounded because the season went on, the injury was completed.

2. Commerce deadline sell-off

By the point the commerce deadline rolled round, the Boston Bruins had been properly out of a playoff spot. So, GM Don Sweeney determined to scrub home by transferring high-priced veterans. Key gamers like Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo had been gone.

However the largest transfer was delivery out former captain Brad Marchand to the division rival Florida Panthers. The transfer sparked one other Stanley Cup run in Florida.

As for the Bruins, the strikes landed younger gamers in return, together with draft picks, however nothing that might assist the Bruins get again to the playoffs this season.

1. Firing Jim Montgomery

The Bruins’ sluggish begin was punctuated by the seeming lack of curiosity by Boston gamers to place their finest effort each recreation. So, the crew determined to half methods with former coach Jim Montgomery in mid-November.

The Bruins then named assistant Joe Sacco as interim coach. Sadly, the transfer solely precipitated the crew’s downfall. The B’s went from a playoff spot in November to the cellar of the Atlantic Division.

Whereas one might speculate that the Bruins mustn’t have fired Montgomery, the fact is that the state of affairs turned so unsustainable that the crew had no alternative. Now, the membership is below Marco Sturm’s management. Sturm can hopefully flip issues round in 2025-26 because the Bruins look to get again into the Japanese Convention playoff race.