Don't look now, but the 2025-26 NHL season is right around the corner. The Boston Bruins enter the season with more questions than answers, which is not a place you want to be if you have visions of contending in a loaded Atlantic Division.
There are some players entering the final year of their contracts this season, and some players are extension candidates for general manager Don Sweeney in terms of locking some up for the future ahead of free agency next summer. Here are three players who are extension candidates for the Black and Gold at some point this season.
Andrew Peeke
Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in 2024, Andrew Peeke has been a solid addition to the bottom-pairing on defense for the Bruins, when the unit is healthy, with youngster Mason Lohrei.
Peeke isn't going to blow you away with his stats, but he played a simple game and is solid. Entering the final season on his contract with a cap hit of $2.75 million, locking him up for the future is the move to make. He's not going to require a big contract, but bottom-pair blueliners are hard to find sometimes. In Boston's case, there isn't really much in the prospect pool that you would feel comfortable replacing him with.
Viktor Arvidsson
Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade on July 1, forward Viktor Arvidsson was acquired because first-year head coach Marco Sturm had him during his time as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings.
Arvidsson is someone who likely will play on the second line and improve Boston's power play, which really has nowhere to go but up. He has the potential to be an under-the-radar addition for Sweeney, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Bruins lock him up after acquiring him in the offseason, like they did with Pavel Zacha a few years ago after getting him from the New Jersey Devils.
Matthew Poitras
Ah, yes, Matthew Poitras. One of the players who is going to have a lot of eyes on him in camp. After splitting time between Boston and the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) last year, he is determined to make the roster and stick in the NHL all season long.
Boston has some young up-and-coming centers, but they really need Poitras to carve out a full-time role in the NHL this year and beyond. He is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and there is just too much upside for the future, and locking him before the end of the season is the move to make. With Fraser Minten, Poitras, and James Hagens, there is a lot of promise for the future up the middle for the Black and Gold.