To many around the league, this season effectively features two trade deadlines: the unofficial cutoff before the Olympic break on February 6, and the official NHL trade deadline on March 6.
It’s a familiar storyline by now: the so‑called pre‑deadline rush rarely lives up to the hype. Activity has historically fallen short of expectations, though a handful of deals still tend to trickle through.
Bruins expectations for this season can be distilled into three words: No Stanley Cup. With that reality in mind, there’s little incentive for the team to make short‑sighted additions simply to chase a playoff berth that would likely end in a first‑ or, at best, second‑round exit – with a lot of luck on their side.
That is unless they can add a young player that can hep the team in the future.
What the Bruins do have are assets that could bolster another club’s playoff push or deepen a contender’s lineup. That’s where the front office should be directing its focus. After navigating last year’s deadline effectively—and with fewer sellers expected this season—Boston could find itself in a particularly advantageous position.
With the season now at its midpoint and the Olympic break fast approaching, it’s an ideal time to assess the top five assets the Bruins could consider moving—either ahead of the pause or closer to the March trade deadline.
Andrew Peeke
Right‑shot defensemen are always in demand across the NHL, and the Bruins are no exception – needing one themselves. But Peeke no longer projects as part of the organization’s long‑term vision—at least not in the direction management intends to take the roster. With his pending UFA status, this is the appropriate time to move on.
The Bruins sent Columbus a 2027 third‑round pick for Peeke and could realistically recoup that asset. And while it’s fair to question whether a team would pay that price outright, Boston could increase the return by retaining salary—provided they maintain the cap flexibility to do so – which they have now.
Given the current state of the roster, there’s little value in keeping him as an “own rental.” This group isn’t positioned to make a meaningful push, and the asset is better leveraged elsewhere.
Viktor Arvidsson
Arvidsson would arguably top this list, but his full no‑movement clause gives him complete control over any potential move. It doesn’t make a trade impossible, but it does narrow the field of realistic suitors.
Many fans questioned the move when the Bruins sent a 2027 fifth‑round pick to the Edmonton Oilers. But if Arvidsson is moved now, Boston should have no trouble securing a much stronger return. He’s outperformed fan expectations this season and profiles as the kind of secondary‑scoring boost a contender would gladly pay for.
Head Coach Marco Sturm is a strong supporter of Arvidsson, so an extension can’t be dismissed outright. That said, there’s a clear line between coaching and roster management, and it’s the front office’s job to take the longer view. General Manager Don Sweeney shouldn’t ignore Sturm’s input, but if a deal emerges that meaningfully improves the Bruins’ long‑term outlook, he has to make it.
First Round Pick
With the Bruins potentially holding four first‑round picks over the next two drafts—possibly five over three years, depending on how the conditions of the pick acquired from Toronto in the Brandon Carlo deal play out—it’s entirely plausible they explore moving one of them.
Sweeney isn’t about to make a move simply for the sake of activity. Any deal would need to deliver a player who fits the organization’s vision beyond this season. That type of target is out there, but the Bruins will need a high level of conviction before pulling the trigger.
That said, it’s unlikely the Bruins would part with either of their 2026 picks. A later selection is the more realistic trade chip, which points to any potential move coming in the offseason or during next year’s campaign but, could still happen now.
Joonas Korpisalo
Let’s be honest: the Bruins didn’t fail to move Korpisalo in the offseason because they were weighing their options—they failed because there wasn’t a single team willing to touch that contract. And now, with Sturm publicly declaring he’ll ride the goalie who actually gives him a chance to win, the divide couldn’t be more glaring. Swayman is carrying the load, and Korpisalo has been reduced to an afterthought. At this point, Boston isn’t just encouraged to find a way out—they’re boxed into it. The longer they hang onto this situation, the worse it reflects on the organization.
It’s hard to see the Bruins moving him without attaching a sweetener to draw interest, but it’s clear they’re gearing up to take another run at it. Perhaps Sweeney can borrow a page from Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios’ playbook and coax a rival executive into a deal—much like Staios managed to do with Boston.
One thing feels inevitable at this point: the relationship has to end. Good games are few and far between. If the Bruins can’t find a solution by the trade deadline, then a buyout in the offseason becomes the logical next step. Sweeney is one Bruins GM that has a history of using buyouts having used it on Mike Reilly (2023) Jimmy Hayes (2017) and Dennis Seidenberg (2016).
Casey Mittelstadt
Many fans are hoping Pavel Zacha ends up on this list, but that feels unlikely unless his next contract ask prices the Bruins out. With a core built around David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman, Boston needs reliable, versatile contributors like Zacha supporting them—especially with so many young players expected to push for roster spots in the coming years.
Which brings us to Mittelstadt. In a seller’s market thin on both quantity and quality, he stands out as a legitimate option. That could shift if more teams slide out of the race in the coming weeks, but for now, a forward on pace for 24 goals over an 82‑game stretch is exactly the kind of secondary‑scoring piece a playoff contender will covet.
The Bruins already picked up an asset from Colorado for absorbing Mittelstadt’s contract in last season’s Charlie Coyle deal, and flipping him now for another return would tilt that trade tree even further in Boston’s favor. There’s also every indication the Bruins would be open to moving him; Mittelstadt doesn’t cleanly fit the style Sturm is trying to implement, making him a logical candidate if the right offer comes along.
Dom - Hockey 