2013-14 record: 54-19-9 (117 points)
Lost to Montreal in Conference semi-finals
Captain: Zdeno Chara
Despite winning the President's Trophy as the best regular season team last season, the Bruins have come to expect nothing less than a Finals appearance, so naturally, an early exit at the hands of hated rival Montreal did not sit well. However, it did not mean wholesale changes, but given the team's salary cap issues, they could not head into free agency to cover for the losses. That means the youngsters that have been plying their trade in the AHL will likely have to compensate for losing the 30 goals Jarome Iginla took to Colorado and the toughness that Shawn Thornton took to Florida. Other than that, the Bruins you saw last season will virtually look the same. Tuukka Rask returns, and he is as good as it gets when it comes to goaltending. Chara will have questions about whether Father Time will finally catch up to him, but he leads a defensive unit that was second best in the league. For all the talk about the Bruins' defense, they were actually third in the league in offense, and despite losing Iginla, the Bruins remain a scoring by committee, led by Patrice Bergeron. A healthy Loui Eriksson will certainly help.
Prediction: 1st in the Atlantic Division
The playoffs are a near certainty for the Bruins, who remain a difficult team to play against. To expect them to make the Finals is not out of the question, even with questions of who will fill out the bottom six and what moves they will make to get salary cap relief.
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