After disappointing in a big way during the 2023-24 season, the Boston Bruins traded away several former key players at the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Among the players who the Bruins dealt by the deadline were Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau. With this, the Bruins undoubtedly blew up their roster and entered a new era in their franchise history.
Now, after a busy off-season, the Bruins are hoping that they will be able to get back to being a playoff team in 2025-26. They brought in a bunch of new players this summer, like Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, and Jordan Harris. They are also hoping that a good portion of their top players will have bounce-back seasons for them, with goaltender Jeremy Swayman being at the top of the list.
However, if the 2025-26 season is not any better for the Bruins and things go south quickly, it would not be surprising if they traded away more of their veteran players during the season.
Because of this, let's discuss four Bruins who could end up getting moved if the Original Six club underperforms in 2025-26.
Pavel Zacha
If the Bruins are once again among the worst teams in the NHL this upcoming season, it would not be particularly surprising if they traded Pavel Zacha. The 2015 first-round pick has been the subject of several trade rumors since leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline and would be a nice pickup for a playoff team looking to improve its top six.
Zacha is entering the third season of his four-year deal with the Bruins, where he has a $4.75 million cap hit. This is a reasonable cap hit for all he provides, so he could generate a good amount of interest around the league if made available. The Bruins would also likely be able to get a solid return for him, especially if he has a hot start to the 2025-26 season.
In 82 games this past campaign for the Bruins, Zacha recorded 14 goals, 33 assists, and 47 points. This was after Zacha posted 21 goals and set career highs with 38 assists and 59 points in 78 games during the 2023-24 season.
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Andrew Peeke
Playoff teams are always on the hunt for big, right-shot defenseman, so Andrew Peeke could generate a lot of interest if the Bruins find themselves out of the post-season race early this upcoming season. Furthermore, Peeke is entering this season as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so the Bruins could dangle him as a rental for contenders if they don't sign him to a contract extension and they are once again in the bottom half of the NHL standings.
Peeke would be a good addition for a club looking for a defensive defenseman who blocks shots, throws the body, and kills penalties. These elements of his game make him a solid bottom-pairing defenseman, so he could be a decent trade chip for the Bruins if they are out of the playoff race this spring. This is especially so when noting that he has a reasonable $2.75 million cap hit.
In 76 games this past season with the Bruins, Peeke recorded one goal and set career highs with 16 assists and 17 points. He also recorded 105 hits and 126 blocks.
Casey Mittelstadt
Casey Mittelstadt is another Bruins center who has been in the rumor mill often this off-season. Thus, if the Bruins end up being a non-playoff team again this upcoming season, Mittelstadt would be a player to keep an eye on. This is especially so if he regains his top form next season.
Mittelstadt could certainly grab the attention of NHL clubs looking to improve at the second-line center spot. When playing at his best, Mittelstadt has shown that he can be an impactful playmaker, as he recorded 59 points in 2022-23 and then 57 points in 2023-24.
In 81 games this past season split between the Colorado Avalanche and the Bruins, Mittelstadt posted 15 goals, 25 assists, and 40 points.
Viktor Arvidsson
With Arvidsson being a pending UFA, he would be another player to keep an eye on once we get closer to the deadline if the Bruins are not above the playoff line. This is especially so if he ends up bouncing back for the Bruins after his tough 2024-25 season with the Edmonton Oilers. In 67 games with the Oilers this past campaign, he posted 15 goals and 27 points.
Arvidsson would have the potential to be a nice pickup for a playoff team looking for more depth scoring and experience in their middle six.
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