The Bruins season has gone off the rails and they’re now 8 in a row and out of the playoffs. Team president Cam Neely didn’t sugar coat it when he spoke to the media recently, implying big changes are coming for this struggling team.
Led by interim coach Joe Sacco, the Bruins are looking at their first playoff miss since 2016. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that was always in the mix. With the trade deadline having already seen Brad Marchand shipped to the Florida Panthers, the writing is on the wall: this offseason will be big for the organization.
Cam Neely Speaks Out on Coaching Future
In an interview with the Boston Globe just before that game against the Hurricanes on Wednesday, Cam Neely confirmed that Don Sacco’s future is still up in the air as the offseason approaches.
Sacco “will be in the mix” when Cam talks with general manager Don Sweeney about who should be leading the team next season. Neely did express appreciation for the job the coaching staff has been doing—especially during that really tough stretch. “That job they’re doing—it hasn’t been easy for them,” he said to the staff recently.
Since firing Jim Montgomery in November and trading Brad Marchand at the deadline, the Bruins have been in a tailspin. Those recent losses—like that 6–2 drubbing by Anaheim and that 2–1 defeat against Detroit—show just how far apart the team has become.
“We’re usually playing for something at this time of year,” Neely said. “Not the kind of situation Joe Sacco would normally be walking into. But he handled that really well.”
No Full Rebuild Planned, But Roster Changes Likely
Fans of the team may be worried about a complete teardown. But Neely says that’s not what the organization is planning. What they do need to do, he said, is reset and get that competitive edge back. “We don’t need to strip this down,” he said. “We’ve already moved some key pieces at the deadline. Now we can replace some of those and get back to where we want to be.”
The Bruins have about $28.8 million in cap space this summer. That gives them some room to maneuver in free agency or trades. The question is: how do they find the right players to complement their core group and get that winning culture back? They have the money to make that happen. Now, they need to figure out who to spend it on.
A Tough Road Ahead Against Top Teams
The Bruins’ recent struggles have really come into focus in their last few games, especially against those Eastern Conference powerhouses. That’s what Tuesday’s matchup against the Washington Capitals (47-17-9, 103 points) at home will be all about. Right now, Boston sits at 30-35-9, 69 points back of that playoff spot—the eighth wild-card position. They’re just eight points shy of a berth.
As the season winds down, the Bruins are watching others fight for that postseason glory from the sidelines. And that’s a tough pill to swallow for a team—and a city—that takes pride in its hockey heritage. But in a way, that low point gives them a chance to hit the reset button and start building towards better days ahead.
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