The Boston Bruins have already started shaping the offseason around some obvious holes, and the blue line is one of the biggest. General manager Don Sweeney addressed a different need right before the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night, landing right wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth, but defense still sits high on the list for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
That’s where Rasmus Andersson comes back into the picture.
Sweeney had tried to get ahead of the problem in January, when he made a push to trade for the right-shot defenseman out of Calgary. Reports at the time suggested the Bruins and Flames were close, but the deal never came together and Andersson wound up with the Vegas Golden Knights instead.
Vegas got a major boost from that move. Andersson was part of its unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final, where the Golden Knights lost in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes. But now the question is whether he stays in Vegas at all.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks Boston could be the team waiting if Andersson reaches the open market.
“The Golden Knights' financial limitations could allow another team to swoop in and snag the 29-year-old. The Boston Bruins just might be that team.
Boston could use another high-end defenseman, and it has been linked to Andersson previously. (Elliott) Friedman also reported that the Bruins weren't interested in acquiring Andersson without an extension.
Now, they might have their chance to land him on a long-term deal,'' Knox wrote.
That extension was the issue the first time around, and it remains the key part of the conversation now. Andersson is coming off a deal that paid him $27.3 million over six years, with a $4.555 million average annual value, and he is set for a major raise.
The Bruins still have to decide whether that price makes sense. A player like Andersson would help firm up the back end in front of Jeremy Swayman, but fitting him into the roster would come with a cost.
If Boston wants to make that kind of move work, players would need to go out to clear the cap space. Mason Lohrei was reportedly part of the earlier trade talks, though he stayed put, and he’s now the subject of trade speculation himself.
In Other News...
Bruins Linked To The Blue-Line Fix Fans Have Been Begging For
The Bruins have spent plenty of time looking for a cleaner answer on the blue line, and Rasmus Andersson is back in the conversation for good reason. NHL analyst Kristopher Knox sees the veteran defenseman as a possible free-agent target, which keeps alive a name Boston already had on its radar when it was exploring trade options for him before his move to Vegas.
Andersson brings the kind of offensive touch and puck-moving ability that can change how a defense is built, and his latest season offered a reminder of that value with 17 goals and 30 assists between Calgary and the Golden Knights. With Boston still searching for the right fit on defense, the intrigue now shifts from whether the interest was real to how far the Bruins might be willing to go if he reaches the market. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Made Another Draft Weekend Decision Fans Will Be Debating All Summer
The Bruins spent the second day of the NHL Draft trying to restock a system that needed depth, not just one marquee swing. Their first pick came on Russian goalie Yuri Ivanov at No. 56, and by the time the weekend dust settled they had made seven selections, giving the front office a chance to add volume after a season in which every pick and every roster move carried extra weight.
Still, the conversation around Boston will not be limited to the draft board. The club did not get to its biggest positional need until late, even though right-shot defense had been the clearest area to address, and the way the team handled its mix of picks, prospects and established players is sure to be debated all summer. In a weekend that also featured a major swap involving former first-rounder Fabian Lysell, the Bruins left fans with plenty to unpack and at least one obvious question still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Edwards Is Finding His Voice Again In A Way Bruins Fans Never Expected
Jack Edwards retirement after the 2023-24 season closed the book on one of the most recognizable voices in Bruins television history, but it hasnt ended his connection to the microphone. The longtime NESN play-by-play man has been finding new ways to communicate since stepping away, including using an AI-aided voice-clone app built from archived broadcasts to let him sound like himself again when he speaks.
The technology has already shown up in a meaningful public moment, too, giving Edwards a way to deliver remarks without relying entirely on his own changing speech. For Bruins fans who grew up with his calls, it is a striking reminder that even after the broadcast booth, Edwards is still trying to keep a familiar voice in the conversation, and he is doing it in a way that leaves plenty of curiosity about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]