With training camp set to open next week, the Boston Bruins are staring at a roster squeeze in two spots: defense and the bottom six. There are simply more bodies than available jobs, and not every player can be shuffled down to the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
That kind of logjam puts general manager Don Sweeney in a tricky spot, especially on the blue line. If Boston wants to clear room, a trade feels like the cleanest path, and Jimmy Murphy of RG pointed to one veteran defenseman who could be on the move before Opening Night on Sept. 19 against the New York Rangers.
The name to watch is Henri Jokiharju.
The Bruins’ decision to extend Jokiharju after acquiring him at the 2025 trade deadline has already looked questionable, and the numbers around the move only make it harder to justify. He came over after Brandon Carlo was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs, flashed some promise alongside Nikita Zadorov to close out a lost season, and then signed on for three more years at an AAV of $3 million.
Murphy reported that Boston may be open to moving him.
"One of the sources above also told RG that the Bruins are willing to move veteran 27-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju, who is set to begin a two-year, $6 million contract," wrote Murphy. "Obviously, though, the younger Lohrei, who is entering the final year of a two-year, $6.4 million contract ($3.2 million AAV), is more attractive."
That last part matters. Mason Lohrei brings more appeal in a trade than Jokiharju, but that doesn’t make Jokiharju impossible to move - just tougher.
Boston committed $3 million per year to him, then scratched him for half the games in 2025-26. That’s the kind of usage that makes a contract harder to sell.
Sweeney may also be weighing another wrinkle: Charlie McAvoy is suspended for the first six games after his slash on Buffalo forward Zach Benson at the end of Game 6 of their first-round series last spring. That could buy the Bruins some time before making a decision.
Still, there’s another young defenseman waiting in the wings. Frederic Brunet has been pushing for a roster spot, and this could be the season he breaks through. If Boston keeps too many veteran defensemen in the mix, though, it could block that path.
That’s why a trade - and Jokiharju looks like the most obvious candidate - would make sense if the Bruins want to straighten out the back end before the season starts.
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The move also says plenty about where the Bruins see themselves heading. With 11 players already signed through at least the 2029-30 season, Boston has been steadily locking in pieces of its future, and Mintens place in that picture now looks secure. For a team trying to keep its next window open, the latest extension is another sign that management believes it has found a player worth building around. [Read more 🡒]