When it rains, it pours. And the Boston Bruins are scrambling for an umbrella. It came as a devastating blow to the Boston Bruins when news arrived that defender Hampus Lindholm would be “unlikely” to return for the rest of the 2024-25 season.Lindholm has been out for weeks and the latest setback has seen him needing yet another surgery for his broken patella.

The loss of Lindholm could not come for the Boston Bruins at a worse time. Lindholm was one of their best defenders, and losing him for the remainder of the season puts a serious damper on their playoff hopes. At this moment in time, the Bruins have some serious considering to do: make trades to salvage their season or let the season be a write-off.

Remember when I said when it rains, it pours? Well, Lindholm’s injury setback has just so happened right on the heels of Charlie McAvoy‘s injury. The Bruins’ star defenseman is out for the immediate future, leaving the team in a truly unenviable position. No timeline on his return has been announced, and as it stands, the Bruins might just have to break their years-long playoff streak this season.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said that Lindholm’s operation would determine the timeline of his healing next week. Sitting in 6th place in the Atlantic Division, the Bruins are effectively in crisis mode, and fans have expressed a range of opinions on this latest injury setback.

Fans react as the Bruins’ playoff hopes take a hit

As the news of Hampus Lindholm’s injury began to spread, fans naturally took to social media to voice their frustrations and concerns about the future of the team. One fan looked at the situation realistically, predicting what the front office’s response might be. “I would guess that Bruins may throw in the towel for making playoffs this season with this news & McAvoy also out for a while.”

Another fan pretty much threw in the towel, not bothering to entertain hopes of the playoffs. Instead, they just focused on the other teams in the division.“Boston down both their Top 2 D-men for the foreseeable future. The race is pretty much down to Ottawa, Detroit, and CBJ with both the latter being quite healthy right now.” 

“This is horrible news for this season. But hopefully, he’s ready to go next season,” added another fan, already thinking ahead to the next season with optimism.

Some fans pointed to Lindholm’s state before the injury: “Watching Hampus during some of those side sessions posted, you could tell he wasn’t right and moving slow. I’ve fractured my kneecap and it’s a tough injury. They’ll get him right, but that knee will never feel 100% again.”

Considering the state the Bruins are in right now, the idea of a rebuild must be weighing heavy on the minds of Bruins fans. But some commenters proposed alternatives to what would essentially be open heart surgery on the team. “They could just explore several off-season re-tool moves if they don’t want a full teardown. They have quite a few guys who playoff teams would want,” said another fan.

When the Bruins’ two best defenders are out for the count, it looks like Bruins fans won’t see their team in action beyond April. Fans hope for a miracle, but the reality is that the Bruins are facing a monumental challenge as they navigate the road ahead with key defensemen missing. But can the Bruins pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat? Looks unlikely, but the season is not over. And the Boston Bruins may very well surprise us all.