When the Boston Bruins acquired JJ Peterka at the draft, the initial reaction was that the biggest winner was going to be David Pastrnak. The usually quiet Czech superstar publicly asked for a bit more help in the locker room cleanout day after the Bruins' playoff loss, and getting a highly skilled winger to play with him on the power play and on his opposite flank on the top line should keep him happy for at least this season.
Pastrnak is the obvious winner from the trade, but an under-the-radar winner could be the coaching staff and Elias Lindholm. The Bruins are actively in the trade market for a top-six center, but if no deal interests them, it might have to be Lindholm who plays on that line, and there is a reason to believe that he could be effective in the role he'd be asked to play there.
At this point in his career, with his back injury lingering, Don Sweeney admitted this might be the best we are getting from Lindholm. While that is a scary thought considering the cost of his contract, Marco Sturm will have to find a place in the lineup where he can at least be a little effective, and Peterka might've been the answer they were looking for.
JJ Peterka gives the Boston Bruins a great first-line option
Pastrnak, Lindholm, and Morgan Geekie were an ugly first line at times for the Bruins. The problem with that trio is that Pastrnak was the only puck transporter, and at times it looked like he was the only one doing anything. It affected their top forward's game, and it painted an even worse picture of Geekie and Lindholm.
With Peterka now able to control the offense alongside Pastrnak, Lindholm's lack of contribution wouldn't be as noticeable. He can hang back in a more defensive role, which is the kind of thing a combo of Pastrnak and Peterka will need given their deficiencies in that area, and Lindholm should be able to chip in enough offensively to make him worthy of the first-line spot.
Would his body hold up to the rigors of first-line minutes anymore? That might be the biggest question. However, if he can be serviceable in that spot, it opens up Pavel Zacha and Fraser Minten to play in the middle-six and broaden the Bruins' depth. Without Peterka, there was no way Sturm could try Lindholm as the top center again after last season, but there is reason to believe that can now change.
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