[1] Due to salary cap constraints and free agent movement, general manager Peter Chiarelli made substantial changes to the Bruins' lineup in the offseason.
Other departures included winger P. J. Axelsson—at 11 seasons, the longest tenured Bruin—center Stephane Yelle, defensemen Shane Hnidy and Steve Montador, and goaltender Manny Fernandez.
Chiarelli entered the 2009 off-season with the goal of acquiring an offensive-minded defenseman, in part due to Boston's weakness in that area during the previous playoffs.
In goal, Fernandez was replaced with rookie Tuukka Rask, who had spent several seasons playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).
The Bruins were slow to gain traction with their retooled roster, alternating wins and losses in the early weeks of the season.
Chiarelli quickly dealt popular winger Chuck Kobasew to the Minnesota Wild, while penalty-killing expert Daniel Paille was brought in from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for draft picks, a move that was interpreted as a sign of dissatisfaction with the team's productivity.
After the game, Thomas was announced as a member of the United States men's hockey team, joining five teammates (Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Marco Sturm, David Krejci and Miroslav Satan) who would represent various countries in Vancouver.