Free agency is finally here, and changes are coming across the NHL for teams as they plan for the 2026-27 season. As far as the Boston Bruins are concerned, changes have already begun after general manager Don Sweeney traded two first-round draft picks for right wing JJ Peterka last Friday night. He also shipped out 2021 first-round draft pick Fabian Lysell to the Colorado Avalanche for prosepct Ivan Ivan.
As far as retaining his own free agents goes, it appears that Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke are going to go to the open market on July 1. That's not surprising and with that said, let's predict landing spots for both players on Wednesday.
Predicting landing spots for the Bruins two biggest UFAs
Viktor Arvidsson
What an addition Arvidsson was to the Bruins' 2025-26 roster. Acquired just before the beginning of free agency last July 1, he solidified the second line with Casey Mittlestadt and Pavel Zacha. They were one of the top second lines in the NHL last season.
The 33-year-old scored 25 goals and had 29 assists in 69 games for the Black and Gold this past season with a plus/minus of plus-20. He averaged just 14:30 a night and had two goals in the first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres in four games before suffering an upper-body injury.
After acquiring Peterka, Sweeney said that it didn't close the door on Arvidsson, but it sure felt like it. He'll likely seek a bigger payday somewhere else, other than Boston.
Prediction: Viktor Arvidsson signs with the New York Islanders for four years with an AAV of $5.5 million.
Andrew Peeke
Between Peeke and Arvidsson, Peeke was the least likely to return. He was and probably should have been traded at the deadline, but Sweeney held onto him. However, the numbers and play have not been good enough to warrant another contract.
There is a dire need for the Bruins to get an upgrade on the right side on defense, and they almost got it back in January when they tried getting a trade for Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson over the final stages. A lot of teams are going to look for low-cost, high reward free agents on the blueline this summer and Peeke is one of them.
Prediction: Andrew Peeke signs with the Detroit Red Wings for two years with an AAV of $3.5 million.
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