The Boston Bruins have come up short in two consecutive postseasons. They advanced past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round this year thanks to Jeremy Swayman, David Pastrnak, and Hampus Lindholm.
However, they didn't have the depth to defeat the Florida Panthers in the second round. They tried to address that depth issue by trading Linus Ullmark's cap hit for a first-round pick, Mark Kastelic, and Joonas Korpisalo.
The Bruins used the extra cap to sign Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov in free agency but lost Jake Debrusk to the Canucks. They hope to fill that void with rookies like Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell. It may not have been a perfect offseason for the Bruins, but there are some trades they could make to set them up for more improvement.
Bruins should trust Mason Lohrei over Hampus Lindholm
The lasting memory of Lindholm from the 2023-24 season will be his tying goal at the end of regulation and the pass to David Pastrnak in overtime of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, it's important for the Bruins front office not to forget how poorly Lindholm played for most of the season. Lindholm has been a member of the Bruins since the 2021-22 trade deadline. The Swedish defender had one good stretch when he filled in for Charlie McAvoy as the No. 1 defenseman in the first half of the 2022-23 season. Lindholm recorded ten goals and 43 assists in 80 games, a career-high by a margin of 19 points.
The Bruins had a devastating loss in the first round of the 2022-23 playoffs. Lindholm helped the Bruins achieve a league-record regular season, but his zero points over seven games in the playoffs contributed to the upset.
Lindholm looked like a weak link on the Bruins' backend for most of the season and didn't play up to his $6.5 million cap hit. Opposing players made him look like he was skating in quicksand on more than one occasion, and his lack of physicality was a sore point in the playoffs. Lindholm excelled against the Maple Leafs in the first round but cowered under the Florida Panthers' pressure in the second round.
Mason Lohrei gave the Bruins much more production in his limited time, and it could be soon time for the Bruins to look at moving him up in the lineup. He currently projects on the third pairing with Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov ahead of him. Lohrei's entry-level cap hit over Lindholm's would free up space for the Bruins to get a top-six right winger.
Joonas Korpisalo can be flipped
The Bruins' move to bring in Korpisalo in the trade return for Linus Ullmark was questionable. The point of moving Ullmark was freeing up cap space, but now they take on $3 million from Koripsalo after the Senators retained $1 million. Most people expected Brandon Bussi to take over the backup role if Ullmark moved, but if they hold on to Korpisalo, Bussi will stay in the American Hockey League until 2028-29.
Bussi looks ready for the promotion to the Boston Bruins. He played in the AHL with Providence for three seasons, owning save percentages of .920, .924, and .913. He didn't look out of place in last year's preseason and performed the best out of all the Bruins goalies. If the Bruins can figure out a way to move Korpisalo, they could give Swayman more starts and trust Bussi for 25-30 games.
Korpisalo was one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL last season. He had a .890 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average. The Senators had a poor defensive structure for him, but the price is still too steep for him, no matter how well the Bruins insulate him.
Is there a more sure thing for Fabian Lysell?
The Bruins seem like they'll trust either Fabian Lysell or Georgii Merkulov to take over the vacant right-wing spot alongside Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. Lysell is a scary proposition, as he had some injury concerns in the AHL.
Lysell doesn't have a big frame, so he gets pushed around by more physical opponents. Lysell's last two seasons ended with injuries from big hits, and the Bruins should be worried about how he will hold up against NHL opposition.
The Bruins could explore trading Lysell to a rebuilding team for more immediate help on the right side. Could they find a team willing to trade an older right-winger for a project in Lysell? The Bruins could be in trouble if Lysell makes the team out of camp and doesn't match their expectations.
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