Season Review:

The Bruins came into the season with a lot of promise after signing Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara to large contracts this past offseason. However, with all that hope, there was no substance. Boston ended up having a porous defense and lackluster goaltending that ended up causing them to miss the playoffs. Even though Marc Savard proved himself as one of the top pivots in the league, Boston's inconsistent offense didn't help the situation.

Offseason needs:
The biggest need is to find an established #1 goalie. A guy like Giguere would do wonders in Boston, but there is a large market for him. Personally, I'd think they should go after a cheaper solution like Vesa Toskala while waiting for Hannu Toivonen or Tuuka Rask to develop as their next franchise goalie. Boston has a lot of young defenseman they could dangle in order to make that trade happen. Adding another winger to replace the loss of Brad Boyes at the deadline and Glen Murray's aging injury woes would also be a smart move.

Next Season Outlook:
Boston has a lot of the pieces in place for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If they can acquire a solid goalie and the young defense continues to develop and mature behind Chara, there is no reason why a team with this much offensive talent (led by star Savard and extremely talented youngsters Bergeron and Kessel) shouldn't make the playoffs. A lot depends on who will be the next coach (Dave Lewis was recently fired, but I don't think there is a replacement, yet), but if he can get this team to play a tight & fluid defensive scheme like the Rangers and Ottawa do, then Boston could be a team to watch out as an upset pick in the playoffs.