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The Boston Bruins defied expectations during the 2025-26 season, finishing with 100 points and landing in the playoffs, but the work was not going to stop there.
Don Sweeney knew the Bruins had to get better. He set out to acquire speed and skill, and that is something that both he and Cam Neely called for in their end-of-season press conference. They also needed right-shot defensemen, as Charlie McAvoy was the only one who was still under contract and did not fall out of the lineup this past season.
Through a flurry of trades and signings, the Bruins are in a better position than they were back in April, but so are the teams around them. Those moves started on draft day and continued through the July 1 opening of free agency. They may not be done yet, but for now, Sweeney has put pieces in place to make the Bruins an even more competitive team.
Acquired: JJ Peterka
Grade: A
The Bruins’ big move of the summer happened right before the first round of the NHL Draft got started. Sweeney packaged the No. 23 pick along with Florida’s 2028 first-rounder (top 10 protected) to land 24-year-old JJ Peterka, out of nowhere, from the Utah Mammoth. Landing in Utah just 366 days before the trade, the German-born forward finished last season with 47 points (25-22–47), down from 68 (27-41–68) in Buffalo the season before.
Peterka’s numbers dipped on the power play last season. He did not play on the power play as much as he did during his time in Buffalo, and he fell from 18 points to five. The Bruins’ power play started hot but cooled off later in the season; they still finished inside the top 10 but could not hold onto the top-three status they carried into the Olympic break.
Peterka directly addresses the speed and skill the front office wants. He is young, and he fits into the competitive window alongside David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman, while also bridging to the younger core of James Hagens and Fraser Minten. He also replaces the 25-goal season that the Bruins got from 33-year-old Viktor Arvidsson, but Peterka can slot alongside Pastrnak on the top line if Marco Sturm sees the fit.
The price, two (late) first-round picks, is not bad at all. The Mammoth traded pick No. 23 to Detroit, and they selected JP Hurlbert.
Traded: Fabian Lysell
Grade: C+
During the sixth round of the NHL draft, the Bruins acquired undrafted forward Ivan Ivan. The trade was not a needle-mover by any means, but the Bruins let go of a former first-round pick for another depth option. Ivan has 49 career NHL games under his belt and spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with the Colorado Eagles.
On the other hand, the Bruins cut ties with Fabian Lysell. By making the trade, Sweeney provides the 2021 first-rounder with a fresh opportunity, as well as a chance that he did not get with Boston. He played four seasons in Providence and only dressed for 12 NHL games at the end of the 2024-25 season, then was back with the P-Bruins group at training camp in the fall. After the trade, Sweeney stepped up to the podium and admitted the Bruins could have done more for his development.
It is not a major trade, and the Bruins were able to salvage a return out of Lysell. However, the Bruins were not hoping for a depth piece five years after drafting Lysell at No. 21.
Traded: Joonas Korpisalo
Grade: A+
This one had to get done, and doing it without retaining any money is another bonus. The Bruins started July 1 by acquiring a fourth-round pick and Kalle Vaisanen, a depth option who spent the last two seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack, for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. The Rangers absorbed the remainder of Korpisalo’s contract, and they are carrying the $3 million cap hit behind Igor Shesterkin ($11.25M).
The trade freed up cap space and cleared the lane for Michael DiPietro to move into a backup role. Sweeney said DiPietro’s progression was “primarily why” Korpisalo was moved, saying the reigning AHL MVP has earned his opportunity with Boston. He has gone 60-16-3 over the last two seasons in Providence, and he can ease into his role behind Jeremy Swayman, who bounced back into form last season.
The Bruins have developed Dan Vladar and Brandon Bussi, watched them succeed elsewhere, and are now turning to the goalie they held on to last summer, giving him an opportunity with less internal competition around him. The Bruins also avoid any cap penalties they would incur by burying Korpisalo in the AHL.
Signed: Connor Clifton
Grade: B
Don Sweeney is not making moves without a Bruins reunion somewhere. The Bruins’ first signing of the free agent frenzy welcomed Connor Clifton back to Boston on a two-year deal with a $2.25 million cap hit. The 31-year-old defenseman spent the first six years of his pro career with the black and gold before departing for Buffalo after the 2022-23 season.
Clifton, a right-shot defenseman, addresses a need for depth behind Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins were thin there, especially with Andrew Peeke leaving in free agency and Henri Jokiharju falling out of the lineup at the end of the year. Clifton does not bring too much on offense, but he shuts down the third pair alongside Nikita Zadorov, which continues to make the Bruins a hard out. That is not what Sweeney and Neely set out for, but that is not coming from your third-pair defenseman.
Clifton brings a physical edge to his game, one he put on display in Pittsburgh this season, even while rotating in and out of the lineup. His contract, especially for a third-pair defenseman, is perfectly reasonable as well. It was “a pretty easy decision” for Clifton to come back, and Don Sweeney is confident in Clifton’s game.
Acquired: Will Borgen
Grade: B
Don Sweeney and Chris Drury didn’t put their phones down for too long. A few hours after the Korpisalo trade, the Bruins traded a second and a conditional third-round pick to the Rangers for defenseman Will Borgen.
The Bruins tried to land Rasmus Andersson in January, and he did not hit the open market come July. Neither did Darren Raddysh, and John Carlson signed elsewhere. So the Bruins pivoted to the trade market.
Borgen is not the offensive defenseman the Bruins pursued earlier in the year, but he fills a role and can slot alongside Hampus Lindholm while eating second-pair and penalty-killing minutes.
Much like the Clifton signing, Borgen strengthens the right side of the blue line. He’s a shutdown defenseman whose career high was 25 points (3-22–25) during the 2023-24 season. He finished with 15 points (5-10–15) in New York last season. Sweeney said he addresses the things Boston is losing with Andrew Peeke’s departure, including size and penalty-killing ability. He is also signed until 2030 with a $4.1 million AAV (the same as Brandon Carlo’s contract); Sweeney also said there are similarities to Carlo’s game.
Overall
Grade: B+
The Bruins also re-signed Jordan Harris to a one-year deal worth $850K, further loading the blue line with depth. Harris played in eight regular-season games with the Bruins this season, was not qualified, but signed back with the Bruins early on July 1. With a logjam on the blue line, Harris may see more time in Providence than Boston, but he still serves as an option for the Bruins if they need a call-up.
Sweeney and Neely set out to acquire speed and skill. They addressed it with Peterka, and they have an in-house option with James Hagens on the rise. Sweeney also addressed the Bruins’ need for right-shot defensive help, twice, and loaded the blue line with 10 NHL-caliber defensemen.
Yes, they mentioned a No. 1 center, and Cam Neely said he wanted to rectify that this summer, but that was not the most dire need of the offseason. The Bruins have in-house candidates who are still early in their development, and trading for another center only clogs the middle even more and limits the growth of Hagens and Fraser Minten.
Moves may not be done, but almost two weeks after free agency, the Bruins are in a better spot than they were last season. They acquired speed and skill, getting younger in the process, and bolstered the defensive depth pool.
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The post Bruins Report Card: 2026 Offseason Moves appeared first on Boston Hockey Now.
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