One month into the 2026-27 NHL season, the trade market still feels pretty thin, but that hasn’t stopped teams from poking around for help up front. Ottawa is among the clubs doing that work, and Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported the Senators are searching for forward depth.
The catch, according to a league executive Garrioch spoke with, is simple: "There isn't a lot out there."
Garrioch said a few names are being discussed as possible options, including Teuvo Teräväinen of the Chicago Blackhawks, Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp of the Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins forward Mikey Eyssimont.
Eyssimont’s name makes sense in that conversation. Boston doesn’t have much room for him at the NHL level unless injuries create an opening, and the early-season play of the team’s younger forwards has crowded the picture. He came into camp with a strong showing and backed it up in the preseason, but the roster squeeze left him on the outside under second-year head coach Marco Sturm.
He opened the year as the Bruins’ extra forward because Matthew Poitras was on injured reserve. Once Poitras was ready to come back, Boston waived Eyssimont with the goal of assigning him to the Providence Bruins in the AHL. He cleared and has been producing for first-year Providence coach Trent Whitfield.
In six games, the former Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks forward has nine goals and one assist. That production has put him near the top of the AHL scoring race already and will only add to the attention he’s getting from teams looking for another NHL option.
Sturm addressed Eyssimont earlier this week, saying he’s only an injury away from returning to Boston. Still, his future bears watching. He’s in the final season of the two-year deal he signed in the summer of 2025, and that naturally makes him a name to monitor as the season moves forward.
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Bruins Top-Six Problems Are Putting Pastrnak At A Real Crossroads
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One path back to stability is sitting right there in the recent history of the lineup, where Pastrnak had more traction alongside Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten. The Bruins also have Morgan Geekie in the mix as another forward whose own struggles add to the pressure on the top-six configuration. With the offense still trying to find a cleaner structure, the question is whether Boston decides to keep pushing this version of Pastrnaks line or goes back to a combination that already showed it can work. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Let A Winnable Road Game Slip Away After Early Lead
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Instead, a one-goal cushion turned into a one-goal loss, 2-1, and Bostons point streak came to an end in a game that had been there for the taking. The Bruins now get a day off to reset before turning to the St. Louis Blues, with the lingering concern being how quickly a solid start can unravel when a road game stays this close for too long. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A Pavel Zacha Dilemma They Can't Ignore
Pavel Zachas next contract has become one of those quiet Bruins storylines that could wind up mattering a great deal. Chris Johnston reported that Boston and Zacha do not see the financial picture the same way, which puts the organization in a familiar spot: valuing a useful top-six forward while trying to keep its books pointed in the right direction.
For the Bruins, the tension is less about what Zacha has become than what they are willing to pay to keep him in that role. Johnstons reporting suggests the club has its own line in mind, and the gap with the players side is enough to make this more than routine negotiation. If Boston wants to avoid letting a stable piece of its forward group become a bigger offseason question, this is the kind of discussion that will need clarity sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]