Why Optimism Returned to the Boston Bruins: Statistical Breakdown and 2026 Leaders

A look at the top three players each of the major categories during the 2025-26 NFL regular season

The trade for center Fraser Minten, and his rapid development, are big reasons why Boston Bruins far are excited for the franchise's future. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Boston Bruins fans were in a bit of a fink last summer, and with good reason. Coming off a 33-39-10 season and last-place finish in the Atlantic Division, the team missed the Stanely Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Head coach Jim Montgomery was fired 20 games into the season, and Joe Sacco went 24-30-6 as the interim. Marco Strum was hired to take the team in a different direction, but was best known as a coach for leading the German National Team to the quarterfinals in the 2016 and 2017 World Championships, and 2018 Winter Olympics. He was just the seventh European head coach in NHL history.

The goaltending had struggled, the hangover of the Brad Marchand trade to Florida to try and win a Stanley Cup was still was hurting, and general manager Don Sweeney didn’t make any major offseason moves. The additions included forwards Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, while top prospects like James Hagens (No. 7 pick in 2025 NHL Draft) and Dean Letourneau (2024 first-round pick) were heading back to Boston College, and Will Zellers (2025 second-round) was off to play at North Dakota.

Consequently, few were predicting a return to the playoffs.

Yet here the Bruins are, ready to take on the biggest surprise team of the 2026 season, the nemesis Buffalo Sabers, in the first round.

Strum is being mentioned as a coach of the year candidate. Sweeney looked like a genius for trading away defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for prospect Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected), and a fourth-round pick.

Minten developed faster than expected, totaling 35 points), and with recent addition Hagens makes up a high-energy third line. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy had a huge season. Morgan Geekie hit a nasty drought and still posted career-high numbers.

More than anything, optimism returned to the Bruins.

Here’s a statistical look at Boston’s improvement this season:

How Much Did The Bruins Change in a Year?

Category	2025-26	NHL Rank	2024-25	NHL Rank
Wins	45	8	33	29
Points	100	8	76	28
Win percentage	.610	8	.463	28
Regulation wins	33	T10	26	26
Shoout wins	4	T11	0	T30
Goals	268	T10	222	T27
Goals average	3.27	10	2.71	28
Goals Allowed	247	19	271	7
GA average	3.01	19	3.30	7
Shutouts	3	T15	7	T6
Power-play %	23.4	9	15.2	29
Penalty-kill %	77.0	24	76.3	24
Net PP %	19.6	12	9.6	30
Net PK %	77.7	28	78.8	25
Shots per game	27.0	21	26.5	29
SA per game	29.7	5	28.6	14
Faceoff %	53.1	4	51,7	8

Now for the individual leaders, including the top three players in each statistical category, plus who led the Bruins a year ago:

Games Played

1. Frank Minten 82
(tie) Mark Kastelic 82
(tie) Sean Kuraly 82
2024-25 Leader: Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha tied at 82

Goals

1. Morgan Geekie 39
2. Pavel Zacha 30
3. David Pastrnak 29
2024-25 Leader: David Pastrnak 43

Assists

1. David Pastrnak 71
2. Charlie McAvoy 50
3. Pavel Zacha 35
2024-25 Leader: David Pastrnak 63

Points

1. David Pastrnak 100
2. Morgan Geekie 68
3. Pavel Zacha 65
2024-25 Leader: David Pastrnak 106

Plus/Minus

1. Jonathan Aspirot +30
2. Fraser Minten +21
3. Viktor Arvidsson +20
2024-25 Leader: Nikita Zadorov +25

Penalty Minutes

1. Nikita Zadorov 152
2. Mark Kastelic 140
3. David Pastrnak 72
2024-25 Leader: Nikita Zadorov 14

Power Play Goals

1. Morgan Geekie 12

2. Pavel Zacha 11

3. David Pastrnak 10

2024-25 Leader: David Pastrnak 9

Shorthanded Goals

1. Mark Kastelic 1
(tie) Alex Steeves 1
No one else with one
2024-25 Leader: Pavel Zacaha 2

Game-Winning Goals

1. Viktor Arvidsson 6
(tie) Morgan Geekie 6
3. Pastrnak, Zacha, Kastelic tied with 4
2024-25 Leader: Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha with 5

Overtime Goals

1. Pavel Zacha 2
(tie) Fraser Minten 2
3. Four players tied with 1
2024-25 Leader: David Pastrnak 3

dark. Next. College. Former College Players on 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Rosters

Finally, a look at the goaltending. We've already listed the team shutouts, which were down for the previous year, but that's one of the few statistics that declined. For this, though, we're going to focus on the starter:

Goaltending

Jeremy Swayman, 2025-26 (2024-25)
Games played: 54 (58)
Goaltending wins: 31 (22)
Goals against Average: 2.71 (3.11)
Save percentage: .908 (.892)
Shots against: 1,571(1,632)
Saves: 1,426 (1,456)
Goals allowed: 146 (176)

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