Bruins’ Biggest Roster Weakness Must Be Addressed Before 2026-27

The Boston Bruins have been dealing with a major issue since the end of the 2022-23 season, when Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired. Their departures left Boston without the two centers who had anchored the team’s lineup for years.

The Bruins appear to have found a reliable No. 2 center in Pavel Zacha, but they still have not found a legitimate replacement for Bergeron as their top-line center. Boston attempted to address that need by signing Elias Lindholm in free agency two years ago.

At the time, there were reasons to question whether Lindholm could handle the expectations placed on him. He was coming off a disappointing 2023-24 season, but general manager Don Sweeney was banking on a return to the form Lindholm showed in 2021-22, when he recorded 42 goals and 40 assists. Had he produced at that level in Boston, Lindholm would have been a perfectly capable first-line center.

Instead, Lindholm has fallen short of those expectations. He has consistently worked hard since joining the Bruins, but his production has not been enough to establish himself as a true No. 1 center. He recorded 17 goals and 30 assists in his first season with Boston, then added just one more assist to his overall point total the following year. His durability has been a positive, as he appeared in all 82 games during the 2024-25 regular season, while his seven power-play goals also provided some value.

Lindholm Has Not Come Close to Replacing Bergeron

There is little argument that Lindholm is not an adequate replacement for Bergeron. He has not shown the ability to take control of critical moments or consistently make the game-changing plays that opponents have to worry about.

Lindholm does bring value in the face-off circle. He won 56.1 percent of his draws last season after posting a 55.2 percent mark the year before. Those are strong numbers, but Bergeron operated at another level. The longtime Bruins captain was routinely among the league’s best face-off performers and was especially dependable in important late-game situations.

It is unrealistic to expect any player to duplicate everything Bergeron accomplished during his Hall of Fame career. Still, the Bruins need a center capable of taking over when the stakes are highest. Lindholm has not demonstrated that he is that player.

Boston therefore needs to make finding a true No. 1 center a priority before the 2026-27 season. The Bruins could potentially find a much stronger offensive option on the trade market, and one intriguing possibility is Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin.