Going into the offseason, there are questions surrounding the Boston Bruins that general manager Don Sweeney must answer. Sure, he needs to figure out who is and who isn't coming back in terms of free agency, while also figuring out if he can improve the roster through a trade and which players to trade.
It has been a month since the Black and Gold were eliminated from the postseason, and we have already touched on which players we believe might or might not be back next season. However, it's been a month since we did that article, and things might have changed. Sweeney already addressed one player, forward Lukas Reichel, and he was re-signed to a one-year deal. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Vancouver Canucks in a last-second deal.
As for two big names that are free agents this summer, Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke, it remains to be seen what exactly is done with them. It feels like at least one will not be back and end up singing elsewhere. Here, we're going to predict if either one signs with Boston or finds a new home for 2026-27.
Predicting whether Viktor Arvidsson & Andrew Peeke will return to the Bruins
Viktor Arvidsson
Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on July 1 last summer, what a pick-up Viktor Arvidsson turned out to be. In 69 games, he finished with 25 goals and 29 assists on the second line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittlestadt. They were one of the Bruins top lines in some games and came up with some big goals.
Now, the question is, where does Arvidsson fit in Boston's plans next season? Mittlestadt is someone who could be moved this summer in a trade, as could Zacha potentially. Although the latter is unlikely, anything is possible. As far as Arvidsson goes, it's going to come down to money. You know that head coach Marco Sturm would welcome him back, but would Arvidsson take a deal that works for both the player and team? Or does he think he can get more money elsewhere? This one could literally go either way.
Prediction: Viktor Arvidsson signs elsewhere for 2026-27
Andrew Peeke
Defenseman Andrew Peeke was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in 2024. However, things haven't really gone as planned over the last year, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he had been moved at the trade deadline on an expiring contract. Instead, Sweeney held onto him and rode out the rest of his contract.
During the regular season, Sweeney knew that a right-shot defenseman was needed and tried to acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. It didn't end up working out; he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and is now three wins away from a Stanley Cup championship. As for Peeke, this is a rather easy decision as it is time for both the player and team to move on.
Prediction: Andrew Peeke signs elsewhere for 2026-27
Add us as a preferred source on Google