During the summer, the Bruins made a big swing for help up front, landing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth and paying a steep price to do it: two first-round picks, including the 23rd overall selection in 2026, plus the Florida Panthers’ first-round pick in 2028.
Boston didn’t bring in a project. It brought in a winger who has already shown he can drive offense.
Peterka started his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23, when he posted 32 points in 77 games. That was only the beginning of what he could become.
His best run came in 2024-25 with Buffalo, when he put up 68 points - 27 goals and 41 assists - in 77 games. A lot of that damage came while skating with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch.
The three played 23 games together and looked like a real threat, posting a 55.90 Corsi for percentage and a 56.28 expected goals-for percentage. They were also on the ice for 11 goals for and eight against, according to Natural Stat Trick.
That stretch matters because it points to the kind of setup Peterka may need in Boston: skilled linemates who can keep up with his pace and finish the chances he creates.
Peterka’s lone season with the Mammoth was more uneven. Before the 2025-26 campaign, Buffalo dealt him to Utah for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
In 82 games with the Mammoth, he finished with 47 points, scoring 25 goals and adding 22 assists. He was only three goals short of the career-high 28 he scored in 2023-24, so the season wasn’t a bust, but it did show there’s still another level for him to hit.
He spent 21 of those games alongside Logan Cooley at center and Dylan Guenther on the right wing, but that trio didn’t control play the way his Buffalo line had. Their numbers dipped to a 50.93 CF% and a 46.92 xGF%.
The Bruins believe they’re getting more than just scoring. Peterka, a German-born forward taken 34th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, has played 320 NHL games between Buffalo and Utah and has 197 points, with 92 goals and 105 assists. He has also contributed 35 power-play points, including 14 goals and 21 assists.
“He’s competitive,” Bonvie said of Peterka. “He’s shutting down and closing gaps.
He’s got some length. He’s got some bite on the back end, which we feel like we can use.
It’s going to make us a hard out in terms of playing against really good teams and making it hard on their best players. We felt there was a little bit of a need and a spot there for him.
He’s going to have to come in and continue to elevate his game. But we feel he can do that” (from ‘ Bruins assistant GM Dennis Bonvie on JJ Peterka trade, upside-focused pro scouting approach ‘ The Athletic, Fluto Shinzawa, 9/1/26).
That’s the appeal for Boston: a forward who can help at both ends, not just a scorer being shoved into the wrong lane. The Bruins have tried that kind of fit before with other young players, and it hasn’t always worked. Peterka looks different.
Now the task is finding the right spot for him. He should have a chance to fit under Marco Sturm, who has a reputation for developing young talent. This will be Peterka’s sixth NHL season, and Boston needs him to bring depth to a forward group that’s been thin.
Daily Faceoff projects him on the first line and the second power-play unit, though that could change depending on how training camp unfolds. He’ll also be in the mix with Casey Mittelstadt and James Hagens for a top-six role.
With a $7.7 million cap hit, the Bruins are clearly expecting him to play major minutes and keep producing. If things go as planned, Boston is banking on another 20-plus goal season in 2026-27.
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Bruins Are Suddenly Tied To A Veteran Scorer With Camp Looming
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A move like that would not just be about adding another name to the lineup, either. It could force the Bruins to rework how their bottom half of the forward group fits together, and one of the more notable ripple effects would be on players pushing for everyday roles. For a team trying to lock in its roster ahead of the season, the timing of this kind of speculation makes the next few weeks worth watching. [Read more 🡒]