The Boston Bruins were one of the quieter teams this offseason. They made the savvy move to take a chance on J.J. Peterka. They signed Connor Clifton to a two-year deal, but other than that, not a ton happened in Beantown. Trade rumors surrounding Pavel Zacha and Casey Middlestadt never came to fruition, and the Bruins are hoping the additions of Peterka and prospect James Hagens can help them deliver a better outcome than last season’s first-round exit.Â
With it being mid-August, the offseason is essentially over, and teams are preparing their rosters for training camp. It’s rare that a major move happens in the next few weeks.Â
When looking at the Bruins, there are a few surprising names that actually left the organization this offseason. Most know that Viktor Arvidsson left for Detroit and Andrew Peeke signed in Utah, but there are a few players on the fringes who are no longer in Boston or Providence. Some of these players might have once had high hopes, but they are trying their luck with a different franchise.Â
1. Georgii Merkulov
Signed with the Colorado Avalanche
Georgii Merkulov has been a staple with the Providence Bruins for years, but now he’s gone. Every year, he seemed to be getting better, and he’s had multiple cups of coffee with the Bruins, but his AHL success just wasn’t translating at the next level. After leaving Ohio State, Merkulov was almost immediately a quality contributor in the AHL, coming close to a point per game every season for the past four years.Â
In fact, Merkulov became the Providence Bruins’ all-time leading scorer last year, finishing his career there with 240 points. Last season, he had 61 points in 70 games. And yet, he only got one game to prove himself in the NHL. He had a combined 10 games in the two years prior. Seeing the writing on the wall, the 25-year-old chose to give the Colorado Avalanche a shot.Â
2. Riley Tufte
Signed with the New Jersey Devils
Riley Tufte is another player who is trying to make an NHL roster coming out of college. After his junior year at Minnesota Duluth, Tufte joined the Dallas Stars’ organization, but it was four years with the Texas Stars without a real shot in Dallas. He signed with the Colorado Avalanche, but it was more of the same. It was a ton of time with the Eagles and not a ton of time in the NHL.Â
Tufte signed a one-year deal with the Bruins, hoping to finally find a home that could lead to an NHL opportunity. After scoring 21 goals in the AHL, Tufte did get six games with the Bruins, but that was the full length of his stint. He re-signed with the Bruins and did even better, scoring 32 goals in the AHL, but he finished with just an additional four games in the NHL and one NHL goal. Now, he’s hoping to finally get a full-time opportunity with the New Jersey Devils.Â
3. Matej Blumel
Signed with HC Sparta Praha
Matej Blumel is a player who came to the Bruins after a stellar season with the Texas Stars. He led the AHL in goals with 39 in 2024-25, so Bruins fans were hoping they had a diamond in the rough when he signed last season. The Bruins had so much faith in the forward that they gave him a one-way deal, meaning he made his NHL salary whether he was with Boston or Providence. That’s usually a sign a team is confident that the player will make the NHL roster.
Blumel did not have a good season in Boston. His goal numbers never materialized in the NHL, and his scoring dropped from 39 to 21 in the minors. Clearly, something wasn’t clicking with the organization. Blumel was ready to head back overseas after the season, signing a four-year contract with Czechia’s HC Sparta Praha of the ELH.
Add us as a preferred source on Google