Bruins’ plans for captain and 4 other takeaways from Boston’s breakup day

"We definitely expect those guys upstairs to bring us some help as well and push even harder for the Stanley Cup.”

Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins packed up their bags on Sunday. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe

May 3, 2026

9 minutes to read

Just two days after the Bruins’ 2025-26 season came to a close, Boston’s players, coaches, and staff were on hand at Warrior Ice Arena Sunday to debrief, pack up their things, and prepare for a busy offseason.

Marco Sturm and his players touched on numerous topics during Sunday’s “breakup day” with the media, including expectations for the 2026-27 season, free agency, and the club’s leadership hierarchy.

Beyond a rundown of the several injuries that the Bruins dealt with during the grind of a long season, here are four other takeaways from Sunday’s media availability in Brighton.

A need for a captain?

The Bruins took a different approach with their leadership roles this season, opting to play the entire season without a captain.

After trading former captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers in March 2025, Boston entered the 2025-26 campaign with three alternate captains in David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm.

Other veteran players like Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, and Sean Kuraly were also credited for their vocal roles in the locker room.

Speaking on Sunday, Sturm was asked if the Bruins are better served with having one designated captain moving forward as the team looks to build off some of the progress made this past season.

“I always said I wanted a captain,” Sturm said. “But now, being through it the first time [with] me as a head coach and not having a captain, I thought it went really well. Just maybe because guys were really close, the leadership group.

“I thought they did a good job overall. Everyone had their input. There were no outsiders. We always kept it really tight. So I actually didn’t mind it. But having said that, there will be more conversations to have with Don [Sweeney] on how we are going to move forward. But personally, I liked how we handled it — especially the players and how they handle the situation all year long.”

Pastrnak said he had no qualms with the different dynamic in Boston’s locker room this season — with both himself and McAvoy serving as the two de facto leaders for a Bruins team in a state of transition.

“It was a full group effort,” Pastrnak said. “Everybody helped us. There’s so many leaders. And during the year, the season is so long. So early on, you lean more on certain guys, the older guys and the more experienced guys. But as the season goes and you’ve been together for a while, there are a lot of guys that are a younger age and the middle-aged stepping up, as a leader.”

As the Bruins continue to weigh their options this offseason when it comes to naming a captain, McAvoy stressed that the priority this season was for Boston’s leaders to set a new standard for a reworked roster — rather than identify a captain.

“I think leading into the year, we met with [Don Sweeney] this time last year, and we talked a lot about how we wanted to sort of reestablish the culture, right? And we spent a lot of time in the offseason doing that and trying to have a real strategic game plan on what we wanted to do, how we wanted to grow, me and Dave as leaders, getting more people to be a part of the leadership group,” McAvoy said. “So, another thing to look back on at the end of this year, checked that box.

“I think we did a great job. I think we put some onus on guys to want to be leaders and be a part of it. And everybody did amazing. So we learned a lot about ourselves.”

Free-agent plans

The Bruins don’t have many pending free agents on their current roster, with only Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke set to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents.

Boston, which is currently projected to have over $16 million in cap space this summer, has the means to retain both Arvidsson and Peeke.

But with the Bruins potentially on the prowl for an upgrade or two both up front and on the blue line, Sweeney and his staff will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to retaining talent — or moving other contracts to free up more spending power.

Arvidsson emerged as a key cog for Boston’s forward corps this season, scoring 25 goals and 54 points over 69 games while serving as an on-ice sparkplug.

Sturm has sung Arvidsson’s praises on multiple occasions this season, crediting the 33-year-old forward for setting the tone both on and off the ice for a team in transition.

“I think Arvy gave me exactly what I was hoping for,” Sturm said. “He didn’t disappoint me. He didn’t change at all. He was a big part — not just on the ice, but also in this room, as a leader, as well. Sweens knows about it. We always talk, and he sees it too.

“But there’s more to it, too. Could be the salary cap, could be anything. I really appreciate Arvy coming in and being the guy he was, and, yeah, it will be nice to have him back, but there’s more to it.”

Given Arvidsson’s age, surge in production, and what stands as a largely barren free-agent class, the winger could cash in this summer if he goes to market — securing the last long-term contract of his pro career.

The Bruins could also be the team willing to pony up that cash, especially given how well he meshed on a second line alongside Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt.

“I had so much fun and it was a great year and I’m happy to talk to Sweens about coming back and it’s just a lot of areas that need to be figured out with my family and stuff like that. You got to think about that too,” Arvidsson, who counted $4 million against the cap this season, said of potentially returning to Boston “But it’s like I said, I had fun and I really like it here, so I’m open to it.”

Peeke — who logged 77 games with the Bruins this season — also expressed an interest in returning to Boston.

“There’s decisions to make on both sides and I’ll have my agent and Sweens chat and kind of just go from there,” Peeke said. “Love being a Bruin. It’s an unbelievable place to play and we’ll see what happens here. So, it’s been awesome.”

McAvoy reacts to disciplinary hearing

McAvoy might be sitting out the first few games of the 2026-27 season.

The Bruins defenseman was offered an in-person hearing by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Saturday after McAvoy was assessed a game misconduct in the final minutes of Friday’s season-ending loss to Buffalo.

With Buffalo up, 4-1, in the third period, McAvoy was slew-footed by Sabres forward Zach Beson while the two were racing for the puck. An incensed McAvoy crashed into the boards, got up, and swung his stick against Benson, hitting him in the arm.

At the end of the third period, Charlie McAvoy swung his stick at Zach Benson after Benson took him down 😳 pic.twitter.com/8NHny8nwlZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 2, 2026

McAvoy said that both he and the NHL have yet to agree on a time and date for the hearing. An in-person hearing means that McAvoy could face a suspension of six or more games going into a new season of hockey.

“I didn’t give it too much thought at all. I was caught up in the end of the season and losing. That was more where my focus was,” McAvoy said when asked if he was surprised to get the call from the Department of Player Safety. “With everything related to that, out of respect for the process, I’m not going to comment anything on that until I have a chance to speak with them.”

Benson did not face any discipline from the NHL for the slew foot against McAvoy.

“Obviously it bothers me,” Nikita Zadorov said of Benson’s play against McAvoy. “I mean, it’s one of our best players getting slew-footed like that. … I don’t think it’s tough. I’m not sure if that guy did it on purpose or not on purpose. But it’s still a dirty play and our player could’ve gotten hurt.”

Hagens heads to Worlds

After logging five total games with the Bruins this season, including three playoff games against Buffalo, James Hagens isn’t packing up his gear quite yet.

Hagens will represent Team USA at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland, which will be held from May 15 through May 31. It will give Boston’s top prospect more of a runway to get acclimated to pro hockey while playing on a Team USA roster that will largely be comprised of NHLers.

Much like how Jeremy Swayman credited his participation at Worlds last May for the springboard he needed ahead of a bounce-back campaign in Boston, Sturm believes Hagens can benefit from more hockey reps on the international stage.

“I just talked to James, and I am so excited he has that chance to play. That was one of my first questions after we got kicked out: Is he going? I know the importance, being with Team Germany, and even coaching and going through the process with Leon Draisaitl. I explained to him that situation — it was massive, massive,” Sturm said. “Those kinds of tournaments and experiences are just the best.

“I am really happy that he has a chance to go there to play against men, too. Coming from college, playing regular-season games, playing in Providence, playoff experience and now this – it can’t get any better. So good for him.”

Hagens, who was scratched for Boston’s final three playoff games, was asked about his top offseason priorities ahead of what should be his first full season in the NHL ranks.

“I really want to work on my speed. You have to be able to move. These are the best guys in the world,” the 19-year-old forward said. “I also want to get stronger, I want to be able to hold my own when I go in the corner with guys. You want to be able to use your body, to create space for yourself. Just trying to work on that over the summer.”

Shifting expectations

The Bruins went from a potential cellar-dwelling club to a surprise playoff participant in 2025-26 during Sturm’s first year as head coach.

There should be plenty of room for Boston to build upon the strides made over the last few months — especially if younger players like Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov continue to develop into lineup regulars.

Boston could enter the offseason with either the No. 6 or No. 7 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft if Toronto’s first-round selection falls out of the top five during Tuesday’s draft lottery, while the Bruins’ prospect pipeline is deeper than it’s been in years, with players like Dean Letourneau, Will Zellers, and Cooper Simpson showcasing plenty of potential.

Still, Sturm harped on plenty of urgency for a Bruins team that can’t just stick to the status quo this offseason if it wants to take another step forward as a legitimate contender.

“I was disappointed yesterday, obviously, not winning the game and not moving forward. At the end of the day, it’s like, okay, we’ve got to keep it real here. We know we have work to do, and we know we probably have to get better and add pieces overall,” Sturm said. “We’re not going to be a surprise team anymore. That’s why it’s going to be really important how we come out of the gate. And that for me is training camp, it’s going to start already.”

Even if more help is on the way with an influx of younger skaters, both Pastrnak and Zadorov harped on the need for the Bruins to further bolster a current roster that could use an upgrade or two on the NHL roster.

“I mean, you heard David — he’s almost 30 and my window is open right now and Hampus [Lindholm], Elias [Lindholm] and Charlie [McAvoy], like we’re not getting younger,” Zadorov said. “So we definitely expect those guys upstairs to bring us some help as well and push even harder for the Stanley Cup.”

For Pastrnak, the goal moving forward is the same as it was entering the 2025-26 season.

“There’s going to be the same expectations,” Pastrnak said. “There’s two steps: make a playoff and then make a run at the Stanley Cup and that’s what I’m thinking of when I’m working out in the summers and that’s my mental expectation.

”And that’s the only two, really, expectations you should have coming into the season. And that’s not going to change.”