This is the problem with prolonged success. Bruins fans consider their team pretty bad when they finish 6th (1995) and 8th (1996) in a 26 team league.
In 1997, sure, a bad team. But by design. Let Kasper coach even after he had lost the team. Traded Oates and Tocchet for kids (Allison and Carter), finished last, drafted Thornton, hired Burns, made the playoffs again the next season.
I was pretty young at the time, but it seemed clear to me that the thing first started going off the rails after the 1993 sweep by Buffalo.
That summer they dealt Moog for Casey, and Casey only lasted a year. Kvartanlonov ended up a one-year wonder.
Juneau for Iafrate at the 1994 deadline.
Wesley gone for picks (although that was excellent value for him)
Going into the 1995 season counting on journeyman Riendeau, a college free agent in Lacker, and a 18 year old rookie Ryabhckov as your goaltenders cause they let Casey walk.
The failed Smolinski/Murray for Stevens/McEachern deal. Stevens didn't last a year, and McEachern was dealt for the great Trent McCleary a year later.
Unable to convince the Oilers to trade them Joseph (who was holding out), ended up settling on the declining Ranford, and he only lasted 14 months.
Just mistake after mistake. Errors in judgement. Bad decisions. They got a small boost when they hired Burns, who was the type of coach that could elevate a team in the short term with his defensive structure, but always wore out his welcome by year 3 or 4. They actually had a decent core of young players in the late 90s but decided to go to war with every decent player who needed a new contract and training camp hold-outs basically became an annual event.