Bruins Star Emerging As Top NHL Trade Candidate Despite Team's Hot Start

The Boston Bruins are having a fantastic start to the 2026-27 season. The Original Six club has a 7-2-1 record and are first in the Atlantic Division standings.

Yet, even with the Bruins having such a good start to the season, one of their top players is continuing to create chatter in the rumor mill.

This is because Bruins forward Pavel Zacha was given the No. 9 spot on NHL insider Chris Johnston's trade board for The Athletic.

"The Bruins have been extraordinarily competitive out of the gate after qualifying for the playoffs last season, but they’re not yet in a win-now mode. Zacha plays a premium position and is a big man who is difficult to contend with in the offensive zone, which will make him appealing as a trade chip," Johnston wrote.

With Zacha being a pending unrestricted free agent, it makes sense that questions about his future in Boston are continuing to come up. If he still does not have a contract extension signed near the deadline, the Bruins could look to move him. He would be too good of a player for the Bruins to risk losing in free agency for nothing this offseason. 

Zacha could be used in a trade to help the Bruins land another impactful player if extensions talks do not go well between him and the team. Thus, he will be an interesting player to watch as the season rolls on. 

In nine games this season for the Bruins, Zacha has recorded two goals, five points, and a plus-2 rating. This is after he posted 30 goals and 65 points in 78 games for the Bruins last season.