At the 2024 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins upgraded their blueline by acquiring defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick. Since then, Peeke has been a mainstay on the Bruins' blueline, primarily playing on their bottom pairing.
At the 2024 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins upgraded their blueline by acquiring defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick. Since then, Peeke has been a mainstay on the Bruins' blueline, primarily playing on their bottom pairing.
During this past season with the Bruins, Peeke scored one goal and recorded new career highs with 16 assists and 17 points. He also had 105 hits and 126 blocks on the year, so he certainly did his job as a shutdown defenseman for the Bruins in 2024-25.
The 2025-26 season is a significant one for Peeke, as he is entering the campaign as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). With this, the Bruins will need to decide if the 6-foot-3 defenseman is somebody that they will look to sign to a contract extension.
With the Bruins not having the strongest depth on the right side of their blueline, they could very well look to a proven NHL-caliber defenseman like Peeke beyond next season. However, if they find themselves out of a playoff spot again nearing the trade deadline, and he is still not extended by then, he could end up being a solid trade chip.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what the Bruins decide to do with Peeke moving forward. He is easily one of their most notable pending UFAs for the 2025-26 campaign.
Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Category: General Sports