It was not long ago where I compared the Bruins to the Red Sox given the state of the franchise. After the winter the Red Sox had and the moves that were made, optimism set in and it would help distract ourselves from the season that the Bruins were having. However, instead the Red Sox have basically stooped to their level and have managed to replicate what exactly the Bruins did. It’s crazy that they have had mirror like resemblances.

Offseason Moves Have Led to High Expectations

This is the precise thing that mirrors one another. Each team had big offseason, which led to heavy expectations. The Bruins suffered a second round exit to the Florida Panthers during the 2023-24 postseason and with salary cap to spend, General Manager Don Sweeney got to spending. In the most predictable fashion alive, he signed Nikita Zadorov (6 years, $5 million per season) and Elias Lindholm (7 years, $7.75 million per season). The goal was to maintain their competitive status and allow these two to help push the envelope further. Instead, it was a dreadful season and the Bruins became a lottery team that currently holds the seventh overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. The year was as bad as it could get.

The Red Sox finally did the thing they have yet to do the last few seasons. Spend money. They went out and signed Alex Bregman, giving him $40 million per season, which does include opt outs. It was huge, because this team needed a right handed bat and a veteran presence. Also, they put their chips in the middle and went out and acquired ace Garrett Crochet and then handed him a six year contract north of $100 million. The Red Sox did the thing and many have gone in to call the Red Sox World Series contenders and even a playoff team before opening day. The results now?

The team has been decimated by injury. They now sit below .500 and have even been surpassed by the Rays in the division. THE RAYS. With both teams seeing their seasons slip away, and the Red Sox still at least have time to right the ship. But the next thing they have in common is them turning over a new leaf.

Roster Belongs to the Youth

The Bruins have a veteran core in place, but those guys are still in the primes of their career. David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman will lead this next wave of Bruins hockey. Also, they will be integrated with younger players such as Fraser Minten, Matthew Poitras, and Fabian Lysell. The days of the veterans are no more and the Bruins truly are entering a new era. As for the Red Sox, they have seen their 2018 winning team dwindled down to just Rafael Devers and now they’ve begun to truly hand the keys to the young guys.

After all the talk, flashing around, and promise of what’s to come, the Red Sox finally have done the thing. Even with Bregman and Devers paving the way from a veteran standpoint, the young guys dominate the roster. The Red Sox have tons of rookies on the roster, with Carlos Narvaez, Kristian Campbell, and newly called up Marcelo Mayer. It’s only a matter of time before Roman Anthony comes up and these are now guys that will shape what the Red Sox are to become. Not to mention, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are second year players.

Sure, the Red Sox might be in a different stage than the Bruins. But they are similar in more ways than we think. Their seasons began with much promise and optimism, and gotten quite gloomy and depressing. The youth is beginning to take over for both teams, which should at least make for excitement for years to come for both in that regard.

Fun times for Boston fans. Fun times.