The Boston Bruins returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. Their run in the playoffs only lasted six games. But the return to postseason hockey certainly proved the front office’s decision to retool correct. The Bruins have a chance to continue contending for the playoffs. In saying this, it will require the right moves this summer to ensure they can keep up with the Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Boston had a lot going for it in 2025-26. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy remain stars at their positions. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman had a return to form last season, as well. He was especially locked in down the stretch last year. And he is arguably the most important member of the roster, as it is currently constructed.
At the same time, Boston was not without its flaws. For instance, while Swayman looked good, he was good out of necessity. The Bruins allowed the fifth-most shots per game, according to NHL.com. Conversely, they had the 21st most shots for per game in 2025-26.
Swayman was made to stand on his head a lot of times in 2025-26. However, his offense struggles to generate many shots on goal. They did finish 10th in the NHL for Goals For Per Game. But they need to figure out how to put more pucks on net to better support Swayman.
Whether it’s a shot-blocking defenseman or a shot-producing scoring forward, the Bruins have clear needs in 2026 NHL Free Agency. With this in mind, here is one player Boston must sign when the new league year begins on July 1.
Anthony Mantha could be of interest to Bruins in NHL Free Agency
The Bruins could certainly pursue a defenseman in NHL Free Agency. The likelihood is that they will find at least one defender from the open market to bring in. However, Boston could be losing veteran winger Viktor Arvidsson this summer. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
There are a few players who could replace Arvidsson in free agency if the Bruins lose him. However, veteran Anthony Mantha is the one who could fit the best. Mantha spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins following a lost season due to injury with the Calgary Flames the year prior.
Mantha had a standout season in Pittsburgh this past season. The former first-round pick scored a career high 33 goals in 2025-26, making him the team’s only 30+ goal scorer on the year. In fact, Mantha was one of three players who scored more than 25, with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust having scored 29 goals each.
The issue with Mantha has been his lack of consistency. For instance, he had multiple stretches of five or more games where he did not record a single goal. This includes an 11-game goal drought to begin the month of January. Furthermore, he did not score a single goal in Pittsburgh’s first-round series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
In a way, it feels as if Mantha still has something to prove despite his career year. This is not to suggest the Bruins will get him on a one-year prove-it contract. However, he could be willing to take a shorter-term contract to show that 2025-26 was not a complete fluke.
Arvidsson last season was in a similar boat to Mantha when he joined the Bruins as well. The veteran winger had disappointed with the Edmonton Oilers. And he was essentially a cap dump for Edmonton to make other moves.
Boston felt comfortable taking the chance on Arvidsson despite the concerns around him. If he leaves, taking a similar chance on Mantha, who is coming off a better season than Arvidsson was in 2024-25, is a bet worth making for the Bruins.
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