Bruins aim to defy odds again as NHL season opens with new faces and milestones
The Boston Bruins are projected as playoff long shots as the 2026-27 campaign begins with a five-game opening night slate.
BOSTON — The NHL's 2026-27 season begins Tuesday with five games, including the Boston Bruins hosting the New York Rangers as they look to defy projections of another playoff miss.
The Bruins, who made the playoffs last season after finishing with the league's fifth-worst record the year before, are viewed as "playoff long shots" by The Daily Faceoff.
The Athletic's analytics model predicts Boston will finish 25th with 87 points and just a 25 percent chance of reaching the postseason.
READ MORE: Murakami's Two Homers Lead White Sox Past Rockies in Season Series Opener
READ MORE: Islanders open season against Maple Leafs in showcase of top picks
"One of the most common arguments against the Bruins making the playoffs is the fact that the Atlantic Division includes so many good teams," NBC Sports Boston reported.
Despite the tough road, one prediction for the Bruins is they will make the playoffs as the second wild card team in the Eastern Conference.
The primary source of optimism is goaltender Jeremy Swayman, a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, and the duo of Swayman and Michael DiPietro.
The acquisition of top-six forward JJ Peterka should also pay immediate dividends, and David Pastrnak, if healthy, should tally 100-plus points for a fifth straight year.
"We're looking to see some of our players improve upon last year," Bruins president Cam Neely said Monday.
"All those things combined, some guys had a taste of playoffs for the first time. It's a nice feeling to be in the playoffs, but obviously, you want to win the last game of the season."
Elsewhere on opening night, the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks face the Edmonton Oilers, and the Chicago Blackhawks play the Vegas Golden Knights.
In the U.S., ESPN will carry a triple-header beginning with the Hurricanes-Panthers game at 5 p.m. ET.
The Panthers begin the season with several players nearing milestones, including captain Aleksander Barkov, who needs just four more assists to reach 500 and 18 points to become the first Panther with 800.
Barkov missed the entirety of last season after tearing his right knee in training camp.
Newly acquired forward Brady Tkachuk, who joins his brother Matthew in Florida, is 28 games shy of 600 and needs 37 goals to reach 250.
In Edmonton, all eyes will be on new coach Mike Babcock, whose hiring was slammed by Mark Messier but endorsed by Oilers leadership.
"I want to be coached. I do," captain Connor McDavid said.
"I know Babs will have our group organized. We're going to be the most prepared team in the NHL. I know that because I've seen him at work already."
In Chicago, 21-year-old captain Connor Bedard enters his fourth season recovering from shoulder surgery and coming off a 30-goal, 75-point campaign.
"It's easy for people to look at the last three seasons and see them all as the same. But for me, last season was different," Bedard wrote this month.
Anaheim Ducks centre Leo Carlsson, whose $18-million average annual value offer sheet reshaped the salary structure this summer, faces higher expectations.
"It's just like a little bit higher pressure, but nothing that I can't handle," Carlsson said.
San Jose Sharks centre Macklin Celebrini, coming off a 115-point season, is tasked with ending the league's second-longest active playoff drought.
The season runs through April 10, 2027, with the playoffs extending into June.
National broadcasts in the U.S. will air across ESPN, ABC, TNT, TBS and NHL Network, with many games available on streaming services like ESPN+.
Garbutt Disposal reported in September that a panel of experts ranked Colorado's Cale Makar, Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Celebrini among the NHL's top 10 players heading into the season.
With files from Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports Boston