The Bruins still have a glaring hole heading into the 2026-27 season, and it’s one Don Sweeney hasn’t solved yet: a top-six center. Boston believed it had checked that box when it signed Elias Lindholm in free agency, but that move hasn’t worked out for several reasons.
The Bruins did land right wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth in late June, paying two first-round picks to get him. They also came up short in their push for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, reportedly because a Boston player would not waive his no-trade clause. Even after those moves, the middle of the ice still looks thin.
That’s why Shane Wright of the Seattle Kraken is a name Boston should be looking at. The former fourth overall pick in the 2022 Entry Draft fits the kind of swing the Bruins may need to make, and the proposed framework here starts with a player Boston has plenty of: defenseman Mason Lohrei.
Boston has an excess of defensemen, and some of that depth needs to be turned into help up front. Lohrei has reportedly come up in trade discussions before, and this feels like the sort of moment where Sweeney could finally move him to address a more urgent need.
Wright also makes sense as a player who could use a fresh start. He finished last season with 12 goals and 15 assists, a step back from the 19 goals and 25 assists he posted in 2024-25. Over 169 career games, he has 36 goals and 42 assists.
The production doesn’t scream star yet, but the upside is still there. For a Bruins team that could use a young center who fits cleanly into the lineup, Wright is the kind of bet worth considering. With second-year head coach Marco Sturm in place, he’d give Boston a player who could slide in without forcing the roster into a major shuffle.
The Bruins may still prefer to chase a bigger name at center, but if that was going to happen, it likely would have happened already, whether through the Vancouver Canucks or another team. At this point, the combination of need and cost makes Wright a logical target before training camp opens.
In Other News...
Bruins Front Office Turnover Keeps Reshaping Bostons Offseason
The Bruins offseason has already been defined by movement, and now another familiar name is gone from the front office. Evan Gold, who had served as Bostons assistant general manager, has been hired by the New York Islanders as their fourth assistant GM, with added responsibility for leading the AHLs Hamilton Hammers. It is the latest reminder that the Bruins business has not been limited to the roster, as the organization continues to see key pieces shift out the door even while the league at large keeps churning through its own summer changes.
For Boston, front office turnover matters because it can shape everything from development to draft strategy to how the club manages the next wave of personnel decisions. Around the NHL, other teams are navigating similar pressure points, with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers both showing interest in restricted free agent Arber Xhekaj and several clubs still sorting through draft picks and player movement. In that kind of environment, every departure adds another layer to an offseason that already feels like it is still being rewritten. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Are Betting Big On JJ Peterka For One Crucial Reason
The Bruins made a significant swing for JJ Peterka, banking on the 24-year-old winger to add a different layer to their attack. He arrives with NHL experience and the kind of speed that fits Marco Sturms transition-heavy approach, which has been a clear part of Bostons thinking as it tries to keep pace in a faster league and reshape its forward group around more than just its established names.
There is plenty riding on the move because Boston did not make it lightly, and Peterka is being asked to help in a role that sits somewhere between immediate contributor and long-term bridge. The hope is that he can supply secondary scoring while also helping connect the Bruins veterans and prospects, but the size of the commitment means the fit will matter almost as much as the production. [Read more 🡒]
Adam McQuaid Sees Something Bruins Fans Will Love In Will Zellers
The Bruins deadline shakeup did more than just change the roster in the short term. When Don Sweeney moved Brandon Carlo to Toronto and Charlie Coyle to Colorado, Boston added a pair of prospects in return, and the one drawing the most intrigue right now is Will Zellers. The 2025 trade deadline was about reshaping the present, but it also gave the organization another look at the kind of forward talent it has been trying to stockpile.
Adam McQuaid, now the Bruins director of player development, sees a player who could fit neatly into the next wave of the teams attack. Zellers put together a strong freshman season at North Dakota and is already on the radar as a potential NHL arrival next season, which is exactly the sort of timeline that makes a deadline addition more than just a bookkeeping move. For a Bruins team that has been searching for more skill up front, that is the part of this deal that stands out. [Read more 🡒]