There is a possibility that we will see some former Bruins on the move this summer.
Trades around the NHL are starting to heat up, as multiple moves have been completed over the last few days. This included the Ottawa Senators trading Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal.
With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft rapidly approaching, there is a good chance that we will see more trades go down soon. Interestingly, there are a handful of former Boston Bruins players who are among the NHL's top trade candidates to watch right now.
Former Bruins Jake DeBrusk, Dougie Hamilton, and Brandon Carlo have all been the subject of trade speculation early on this off-season.
With the Vancouver Canucks being in a full-on rebuild, DeBrusk has been in the rumor mill since before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Due to this, the former Bruins forward was given the No. 15 spot on Chris Johnston's latest trade board for The Athletic.
Teams looking for more offense should have DeBrusk on their radar, as he is a solid scoring winger who can play in the top six. He also has a reasonable $5.5 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season.
Hamilton is another notable trade candidate heading into the summer. It is no secret that the former Bruins blueliner would like a change of scenery, and the New Jersey Devils would benefit from parting ways with his $9 million cap hit.
Hamilton was given the No. 18 spot on Johnston's latest trade board and could be a nice pickup for a team looking for an offensive defenseman for their top four. In 77 games this past season for the Devils, the former Bruins blueliner had 12 goals and 39 points.
As for Carlo, questions about his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs have continued to come up. The former Bruins defenseman has struggled to find his fit in Toronto and could be a decent trade chip for them to dangle as they continue retooling their group.
Due to this, Carlo was among the players featured on The Fourth Period's Trade Watch list. He would have the potential to be a solid addition for a team in need of a defensive defenseman. In 55 games this past season with Toronto, he posted seven assists, 65 hits, and a plus-4 rating.
