The Boston Bruins have made their final roster decisions — and they’re choosing grit over skill once again. Jeffrey Viel beats out Matej Blümel and Matthew Poitras for the last forward spot, signaling Marco Sturm and Don Sweeney’s commitment to a heavy, hard-to-play-against identity heading into the 2025-26 NHL season.

Host Ian McLaren breaks down what Viel’s inclusion means for Boston’s lineup philosophy, the ripple effects for Poitras and Blümel, and whether the Bruins risk losing scoring depth for free.

Then, Jeremy Swayman’s 30-save performance in a 4-1 preseason win over the New York Rangers proves he’s ready to anchor the team’s redemption campaign. We also highlight Nikita Zadorov’s two goals, Fraser Minten’s breakout play, and the new Bruins defensive pairings featuring Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm.

Finally, we zoom out to the big question: Is this a redemption story or a repeat of last year’s struggles? Can Marco Sturm’s structured system and Don Sweeney’s roster philosophy coexist with the offensive creativity Boston needs to compete in 2025-26?

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David Pastrnak has been left out of the NHL’s Top 10 player rankings again — sitting at No. 11 despite leading the league in goals over the past three seasons.

Host Ian McLaren breaks down why Pastrnak deserves Top 5 recognition, reacts to Charlie McAvoy being ranked 38th and Jeremy Swayman 85th, and recaps the Boston Bruins’ 3-1 preseason win over the Washington Capitals.

Brett Harrison scored twice in his debut, Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 of 34 shots, and Don Sweeney announced new roster cuts as the team gets closer to opening night.

Locked On Boston Bruins is your daily podcast for analysis, reactions, and all the latest news on the Black and Gold — part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

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In this episode of Locked on Boston Bruins, host Ian McLaren analyzes the Atlantic Division's landscape for the upcoming NHL season. He predicts the top four teams as Tampa Bay, Florida, Toronto, and Montreal, discussing their strengths and recent changes. McLaren explores the challenges facing the Bruins in climbing the standings, highlighting the need for improved secondary scoring, goaltending, and defensive play. He examines the team's roster changes and the potential impact of young players. The podcast also covers recent comments from coach Marco Sturm on the expectations for rookies and touches on upcoming roster decisions, with a focus on waiver-exempt players and the final preseason games.

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Can the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings FINALLY snap their historically long playoff droughts? Can the Boston Bruins return to their usual winning ways after a disaster season? And are the Montreal Canadiens the class of this crop of four squads? In a special Atlantic Divison Hopefuls season preview, Joe DiBiase (Locked On Sabres), Brian Fisher (Locked On Red Wings), Ian McLaren (Locked On Bruins) and Ian Boisvert (Locked On Canadiens) link up to talk about life in the bottom half of the loaded Atlantic Division, and what the path to the playoffs looks like for each of them. They dissect each team’s FanDuel over/under projections, discuss big offseason moves, and dig into the stakes at play for each team if things don’t go to plan this season.

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In this episode of Locked On Bruins, host Ian McLaren analyzes Kirill Kaprizov's record-breaking contract with the Minnesota Wild and its implications for the Boston Bruins. He compares Kaprizov's performance to David Pastrnak's, highlighting Pastrnak's superior production and value on his current contract.

McLaren discusses the Bruins' missed opportunity in drafting Kaprizov and explores potential future contract considerations for the team. The episode also touches on upcoming preseason games, roster decisions, and goaltending options as the Bruins prepare for their season opener against the Washington Capitals.

McLaren concludes with a nostalgic nod to former Bruin Dmitri Kvartalnov as the "Bruin of the Day."

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David Pastrnak returned to preseason action looking sharp, picking up an assist and throwing his weight around, while Jeremy Swayman made his first start in net with a mix of highlight saves and costly mistakes.

The Bruins rolled out their “dress rehearsal” lineup in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers, showing encouraging signs on defense and special teams but continued uncertainty in the middle six.

The emotional highlight of the night came from Sean Kuraly, who scored in his TD Garden return just weeks after the passing of his father, Miami University Hall of Famer Rick Kuraly.

Host Ian McLaren breaks down Pastrnak’s impressive debut, Swayman’s performance, and Kuraly’s meaningful goal, plus what it all means for Boston’s roster with just a week to go before opening night.

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Hampus Lindholm returned to the Boston Bruins lineup for the first time since fracturing his patella last November, and Marco Sturm says the team finally played with the kind of detail he’s been demanding. Dalton Bancroft continues to impress after his standout career at Cornell, John Beecher scored a key goal, and Group A’s lineup looked almost identical to what we’ll see on opening night.

But oddsmakers still aren’t convinced, giving Boston just a 20% playoff probability — 15th in the Eastern Conference. Is that fair, or are the Bruins being underrated heading into 2025–26?

Ian McLaren breaks it all down on today’s Locked On Boston Bruins: Sturm’s blueprint, roster battles, Bancroft’s rise, Beecher’s goal, and why sportsbooks may be underestimating the B’s.

Locked On Boston Bruins is part of the Locked On Podcast Network — your team, every day.

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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)