It is fair to say that the Boston Bruins had a busy 2025 NHL off-season. They re-signed some of their key players, with Morgan Geekie and Mason Lohrei being the most notable. They also added an array of new players to their roster, which includes Tanner Jeannot, Viktor Arvidsson, Matej Blumel, Sean Kuraly, Jordan Harris, and Michael Eyssimont. With these moves, the Bruins are hoping to bounce back during the 2025-26 season and get back to being a playoff team again in the process.
Yet, when looking the Bruins’ current roster, it is pretty clear that they still have some serious roster needs that they should aim to address, whether that is before or during this season. While there is no question that they improved their depth this off-season, they still could still use upgrades at a few important positions.
Due to this, let’s take a look at three roster spots that the Bruins should look to improve and three players who could make sense as trade targets because of it.
Bruins Need First-Line Center
Since future Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement, the Bruins have had trouble finding a true replacement for him with their first-line center spot. While they have a handful of solid centers like Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, and Casey Mittelstadt, it is apparent that they still need a true first-line center if they hope to become a real threat in the Eastern Conference again.
A few unrestricted free agent (UFA) centers from this summer who hit the market were Mikael Granlund and Pius Suter. Jack Roslovic is also the top free-agent forward left. However, none of these options would have given the Bruins that much-needed first-line center.
Potential Bruins Trade Target: Mason McTavish
While Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish is more of a second-line center at this stage of his career, he is certainly a player the Bruins should have on their radar. This is because the young forward is already a proven top-six center and has the potential to get even better as he continues to gain more experience. Thus, if the Ducks and McTavish continue do not make progress with their ongoing contract negotiations and he is made available, the Bruins should strongly consider pursuing him.
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Bruins Need Top-Six Winger
While the Bruins added a handful of wingers this off-season, it is fair to argue that they still could use another legitimate top-six one. This has been the case since they lost Jake DeBrusk to the Vancouver Canucks in free agency during the 2024 NHL off-season and only became more of a need when they traded former captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
The Bruins had been connected to star winger Brock Boeser this off-season, but he ended re-signing with the Canucks after hitting the market. Nikolaj Ehlers also would have been a major pickup for the Bruins, but he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes in July. As a result of this, if the Bruins hope to get a top-six winger soon, they will need to go through the trade market.
Potential Bruins Trade Target: Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch would be an excellent top-six winger for the Bruins to bring in. The 29-year-old winger is entering the final season of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, and he has been the subject of trade speculation for quite some time. If the Bruins acquired him, he would give them a perfect option for their second-line right wing spot, as he is a big goal-scoring forward. In 82 games this past season with the Sabres, he scored 36 goals and recorded 67 points.
Bruins Need Top-Four, Right-Shot Defensemen
After trading Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, it is pretty clear that the Bruins could also use a legitimate top-four, right-shot defenseman to replace him. While Henri Jokiharju fit in nicely with the Bruins after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, expecting him to carry the same value as Carlo in a second-pairing role may be a bit of a stretch.
This year's free-agent market did not offer the best options when it came to right-shot defensemen. Aaron Ekblad (Panthers) and Dante Fabbro (Columbus Blue Jackets) stood out as possible targets, but they each ended up re-signing with their current clubs before they could have hit the market. Cody Ceci and Nick Perbix became UFAs this summer, but neither player would have necessarily provided major upgrades to the Bruins' top four. Thus, the trade market is the best route for the Bruins to try to address this issue.
Bruins Potential Trade Target: Rasmus Andersson
If the Bruins want to upgrade the right side of their defense, Calgary Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson is the best option available right now. The 28-year-old defenseman is a pending UFA, and the expectation is that the Flames will end up trading him. If the Bruins acquired Andersson, he would give them a major upgrade to their second pairing and would also provide them with an excellent option for their power play.
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