The Bruins were expected to take a step back in 2023-24.
Of course, regression was to be expected after a season where Boston rewrote the record books with a 62-12-5 record last winter.
But after years of win-now moves conducted by Don Sweeney, it looked as though the bill was about to come due.
In total, Boston lost 80 goals and 210 total points this offseason. Both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired. A severe cap crunch prompted the Bruins to trade Taylor Hall, and let other key cogs like Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov leave in free agency.