Free agency is about to open, but for the Bruins the real action may still be on the trade market.
That’s the lane Boston appears most likely to keep working, especially with general manager Don Sweeney still trying to solve the same problem that has hung over the roster: the right side of the defense. The Bruins already made one major swing for the future by landing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round picks, but that move also ate into their cap room. Now the question is whether they can keep shopping for defense help without running out of room.
“The conversations have been taking place for a while now,” Sweeney said of swap chatter. “I think you’ll see a re-attack of some teams trying to reposition, whether that’s because the free-agent market might not be as deep as you hope and you’ve got to do it through trades. I do believe there will be a revisit.”
Boston has about $8.5 million available, and that number matters because the names at the top of the defense market are not cheap. Rasmus Andersson, No. 10 on The Athletic’s UFA board, would be a tough fit after Peterka’s $7.7 million average annual value. Andersson also may have even more leverage after the sign-and-trade of fellow right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh, who landed at $8.5 million AAV.
There’s another name that would blow past Boston’s budget entirely: John Carlson. He is currently property of the Carolina Hurricanes and is seeking $10 million annually on a two-year deal. Jacob Trouba is another possibility, though he could come at a lower price while asking for more term than the Bruins want.
That’s why the trade market still looms so large. Sweeney said Boston may need to move money out if it wants to land a defenseman in that tier.
“We’ll be making phone calls accordingly from the standpoint of trades and whether anybody else is going to change things,” said Sweeney.
The Bruins’ biggest need remains the right side, especially with Andrew Peeke eligible for free agency and Charlie McAvoy unavailable for the first six games of 2026-27. Boston also did not give Jordan Harris a qualifying offer, leaving one more depth option off the board. Behind McAvoy, the choices are thin.
If Boston goes big, Zach Werenski sits near the top of the wish list despite being a left shot. The Bruins would have plenty of competition for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Norris Trophy winner, and the fit would be complicated by both the cost to acquire him and his $9,583,333 AAV.
A Werenski-McAvoy pairing would be a major headache for opponents, but getting there would take a lot of cap gymnastics. Columbus, meanwhile, is not interested in futures, which is where 19-year-old James Hagens comes into the picture.
Darnell Nurse is another left-shot option and comes in at $9.25 million annually. He would not bring the same offensive punch as Werenski, but he would still be an upgrade over Jonathan Aspirot.
The catch is the contract: Nurse has three years left, and a deal like that would likely require Edmonton to hold back salary. It would also leave Boston short on the right side.
Mason Lohrei could be part of the answer there. He moved to his weak side last season and could do it again in 2026-27.
But his long-term place in Boston is not settled. Another team might see value in the 25-year-old’s offense, especially after he posted a career-high 33 points in 2024-25.
He is due $3.2 million in 2026-27.
The Bruins could also create more flexibility by moving Pavel Zacha, who carries a $4.75 million AAV. That would be a surprise, though, because Zacha is eligible to sign an extension starting Wednesday and Sweeney has said he wants to get a deal done. A trade would have made more sense before the draft, when Boston could have collected multiple picks in return.
“It might not end on July 1,” Sweeney said of trade talk. “You put your phone away at times on July 2. I think there’s going to be a little lingering there.”
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