No it isn’t a joke. I was, I suppose, using alleged to mean probable but with a certain amount of doubt.
They upgrade with Tavares - though he certainly wasn’t a winner in NY and I regard him as a grinder, the best lacrosse player in the NHL I call him. Still he does give them a stronger second line threat. But who is to say whether their defense can handle the stress and provide the structure they need to be truly a contender. It’s still weak in my eyes. Reilly (sic, spelling) as a # 1 pair guy in this league? Not sure. Then their goaltending was very good last year, but will it repeat?
So they are probably better, but maybe not all that much. Let them show they can get out of the first round of the playoffs before I start to get out the superlatives. Do they win their division even? Far from clear.
Query - why did my slipping “alleged” into the phrase piss you off so much? Because really the context was that Boston’s competition was going to be tougher and the Bruins might not rack up the points this year as copiously as last.