When the Bruins landed JJ Peterka, plenty of fans immediately slotted him next to David Pastrnak and called it a day. Three days into training camp, though, Boston’s new winger has spent his time somewhere else entirely: on the right side with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha.
That alignment has shown up repeatedly since camp opened. Marco Sturm looked to be testing things out on Day 1, then brought the same lines back on Day 2, and kept the same trios together again on Day 3, even during an intersquad scrimmage. By then, the setup looked a lot less like a trial run and a lot more like the group Sturm wants to open the season with.
Peterka isn’t acting like he’s been shortchanged. He already has familiarity with Mittelstadt from their days together with the Buffalo Sabres, and he sounds comfortable with Zacha too.
JJ Peterka on his early chemistry with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha: “It's been good. Played with Casey actually a lot in Buffalo.
With Pav, it's pretty easy to play. Pretty smart player.”
There’s still plenty of runway before anything becomes final. Sturm shuffled his lines so often last season that it could make your head spin, and this could all change again. But for now, the Bruins are trying to keep their best forwards anchored in the top six and let them drive their own lines.
That’s where the Peterka addition matters. He was the offseason upgrade on the wing over Viktor Arvidsson, and the idea is simple: if Peterka can lift Mittelstadt and Zacha the way Arvidsson helped that group last season, Boston’s second line could take another step.
The other side of that plan is Pastrnak. The Bruins still need enough around him on the top line, and Sturm and the front office are clearly hoping their two most talented forwards can each stabilize a unit. If Pastrnak gets strong play from Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm, and Peterka clicks with his linemates, the Bruins’ depth starts to look a lot better.
And if James Hagens can get something going with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, Boston could suddenly be looking at a top nine that blends offense and two-way play across three lines.
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For a team trying to balance immediate readiness with long-term upside, every shift matters a little more than it used to. The Bruins will use these first exhibitions to start separating players who can handle NHL minutes now from those who may need more time elsewhere, and with fewer chances to make an impression, the first game could shape some of the biggest decisions of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Expose A Depth Forward To Waivers With One Roster Spot In Play
The Bruins have cleared another piece of their depth chart by placing forward Navrin Mutter on waivers, a move that opens the door for other NHL clubs to claim him before Bostons roster decisions tighten further. Mutter was acquired from Nashville last March and is heading into his first full season in the organization, with most of his professional experience coming in the AHL and ECHL.
For Boston, it is the latest reminder of how little margin there is at the bottom of the roster when one spot is still available and competition is ongoing. Mutter has not yet gotten into an NHL game, so his future now hinges on whether another team sees enough value to step in, or whether he ends up remaining in the Bruins system as the organization keeps sorting out its depth forward mix. [Read more 🡒]