Recent musings by a notable insider have thrust a Boston Bruins’ blueliner into trade discussions. During a January 22 appearance on the Chris Johnston Show, the titular posited that the Bruins could be looking to deal impeding UFA defenseman Andrew Peeke.
On the surface, the deal makes sense. Peeke is slated to hit the market this summer. As such, it would make sense for Boston to explore a trade at this year’s deadline. That’s virtually standard operating procedure for NHL teams dealing with free-agents-to-be. If the team isn’t confident it can re-sign the player, the best way to go is to trade him.
But in the Bruins’ case, trading Peeke is off the rails. The 27-year-old has been one of the steadiest players on Boston’s blue line. He’s averaged 19:48 of ice time this season, while generally avoiding costly gaffes most of the time.
Yes, Peeke isn’t an offensive dynamo. He’s not the sort of defenseman that lights the score sheet on fire. But that’s not his identity or his role. Peeke’s value lies in being a solid defensive blueliner. He’s the sort of dependable middle-pairing defenseman who can chew up tough minutes. That’s why the idea of trading him is bonkers.
Unless a team is willing to pony up an insane offer for Peeke, potentially a team desperate to salvage their season amid injuries (hello, Maple Leafs), the best that Don Sweeney can do is hold on to Peeke. Considering how complicated it might be to replace him, the Bruins are just better off holding onto Peeke and pushing to extend him.
Bruins can afford keeping Peeke
Peeke is playing on an expiring deal. His three-year deal carrying a $2.75 million cap hit will likely command a pay raise on his next contract. That’s fine as long as the increase isn’t prohibitive. That said, the Bruins can afford to keep Peeke in the fold. It wouldn’t be outrageous to see Boston hold on to the right-shot D-man on something like a four-year deal with a cap hit hovering around $3 million to $3.5 million AAV. That cap hit would be more than reasonable for the ice time he logs and the role he plays. Moreover, the going rate for solid middle-pairing blueliners generally comes in around $5 million at current market prices.
Even if the Bruins upped their offer to about $4 million per season, it would still be a deal considering some of the other comparables out there.
There’s the risk, of course, that the Bruins could lose out to another team if Peeke hits the market. So, it will be interesting to see if another club makes a serious pitch for Peeke. Anything can happen in the NHL, especially with injuries devastating teams at a moment’s notice.