Bruins Brass Shares Their Top Needs Before the Offseason

Boston — If the Bruins want to finally get over their frequent early-round problems, they will need to make some adjustments during the offseason.

The Bruins’ primary issue was a deficiency in postseason scoring, as their inability to maintain offensive consistency proved to be fatal towards the end, particularly with their power play. It also became quite evident that Boston’s front corps lacked adequate quickness.

Don Sweeney and Cam Neely plan to deal with it over the summer.

“Don and I have had a lot of conversations since the season ended, we talk every day during the season and talk about how we want our team to play,” Neely said Wednesday, “Obviously, this game is fast and we’re not as fast as we’d like to be. Some of that had to do with last offseason and what we were really kind of hamstrung and trying to accomplish.

“Our pro scouting staff did a really good job last offseason and built a team that competed the way they did. But there’s areas where we still need to improve, and we’re going to address that this offseason for sure. But yeah, maybe a little faster and we’d like to see a little bit more 50/50 puck battle wins. That’s an area where you have to want the puck more than the other team.”

The Bruins attempted to address the latter concern at the trade deadline, acquiring big-bodied forward Pat Maroon in a trade with the Minnesota Wild. He wasn’t able to contribute early, but came on and did play heavy minutes in the postseason.

His linemates, Johnny Beecher and Jesper Boqvist, were big contributors early in the playoff run, showing a speed not seen on any of the top three lines.

The Bruins merely lacked the necessary tools to defeat the Florida Panthers, a squad that was larger, quicker, and more formidable. In the offseason, Neely and Sweeney will attempt to remedy it, and they should have plenty funds to do so.