This former Bruins tough guy is playing some strong hockey right now against the Oilers.
Back in January, the Boston Bruins traded forward Jeffrey Viel to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Bruins' decision to move on from the enforcer was understandable, as he had become the odd man out on their NHL roster.
Following being traded to the Ducks, Viel had three goals, seven assists, 10 points, 49 penalty minutes, and 94 hits in 35 games. With numbers like these, he cemented himself as a solid part of the Ducks' bottom six.
However, so far this postseason, Viel is taking his game to a new level for Anaheim.
It is no secret that Viel is known for his gritty style of play and toughness. However, in the Ducks' first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, he has been a nice surprise offensively for Anaheim.
Viel has scored a goal in each of his last two games for the Ducks, which have resulted in two wins for Anaheim. In Game 3, Viel scored a big insurance goal at the 16:57 mark of the third period to give the Ducks a 6-4 lead.
Viel's goal in Game 4 also proved to be very important, as he tied the game up at 3-3 during the third period and forced overtime. From there, Ducks forward Ryan Poehling would score the overtime winner for Anaheim and extended their lead in the series to 3-1.
With this, Viel has been playing very well for the Ducks early on this postseason. It will be interesting to see if he can keep this kind of offense up for Anaheim against the Oilers from here.
Viel played in 15 games over two seasons with the Bruins, where he had zero points, 39 hits, 44 penalty minutes, and a minus-2 rating.