Andrew Peeke’s exit from Boston in free agency didn’t come out of nowhere. By the time the Bruins reached the end of a rough 2024-25 season, the writing was already on the wall for a defenseman who had entered the year in a contract season and never quite gave the team a reason to lock him in long term.
General manager Don Sweeney chose to let the year play out rather than make a move at the trade deadline in March, even though there was chatter that Peeke could have been cut loose on an expiring deal. Boston held on, but when free agency opened, Peeke was gone, heading to the Utah Mammoth.
The regular season never really took off for him. Peeke finished with five goals and 14 points while logging 19:23 per night, but the numbers only tell part of the story.
His minus-12 stood out, and among Bruins defensemen, it was the worst plus/minus on the roster. A second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2016 Entry Draft, he had a difficult year in just about every phase and ended up playing more than Boston probably wanted because of the injuries that piled up on the blue line.
In the postseason, though, Peeke at least had a steadier showing against the Sabres. He recorded an assist in the series and finished at plus-2.
He was also on the ice in Game 5 when David Pastrnak scored the overtime winner that pushed the series to a sixth game in Boston, a 2-1 overtime result. Even so, it wasn’t enough to keep the Bruins alive any longer.
In Other News...
Bruins Trade Buzz Keeps Building Around Two Familiar Names
The Bruins still have not made a major offseason splash, which has kept the focus on whether their next move comes through the trade market instead of free agency. In that conversation, two familiar names keep surfacing: center Pavel Zacha and defenseman Mason Lohrei, both of whom fit the kind of roster questions Boston may need to answer before the season gets rolling.
Zachas situation is tied to contract considerations and whether the Bruins want to commit to keeping him in place, while Lohrei has been framed as a player who could use a change of scenery. The buzz around Lohrei may stretch into the preseason and even the days around training camp in September, which leaves Boston with a decision point that could linger a little longer than the usual summer rumor cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Still Havent Solved Their Biggest Blue Line Problem
Don Sweeney spent June trying to solve one of Bostons most obvious needs up front, landing JJ Peterka to help the top six and give the Bruins another layer of scoring. But as the offseason has worn on, the blue line still looks like the area that could define how far this roster can go, especially on the right side where the Bruins have been searching for more proven help.
A veteran option has remained in the conversation as Boston looks for a way to stabilize that part of the defense, and the fit is easy to understand on paper. The question is whether the Bruins can actually turn that interest into a move, because the back end still feels like a work in progress and the clock keeps ticking toward camp. [Read more 🡒]
Where Bruins Departures Ended Up Could Sting Fans Most
The Bruins roster churn has sent a familiar mix of depth pieces, prospects and veterans to a wide spread of new homes, and a few of those exits are the kind that can linger with fans. Johnny Beecher landed with the Florida Panthers after earlier being lost on waivers to Calgary, Jeffrey Viel moved on to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vladislav Kolyachonok signed with the New Jersey Devils, and Victor Soderstrom is headed back to Europe with EHC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland.
There is also a more immediate sting in the Atlantic Division, where Viktor Arvidsson is now with the Detroit Red Wings, while Michael Callahan joined Tampa Bay and Joonas Korpisalo was dealt to the New York Rangers. For a Bruins team trying to keep its footing in a changing roster picture, the list is a reminder that the departures have not just been about trimming the edges, but about losing players to places Boston will see again. [Read more 🡒]