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.
5 Bruins Who Could Thrive Playing For Marco Sturm
After a long head coaching search this off-season, the Boston Bruins officially named Marco Sturm their new bench boss on June 5. Sturm had been connected to Boston's head coaching job for several weeks before landing it, so it was not necessarily surprising to see the former Bruin hired for the role. However, it also makes a lot of sense that he is the Bruins' new head coach.
With the Bruins in the middle of a retool, bringing in a coach who has a lot of experience coaching younger players like Sturm has the potential to benefit the Bruins significantly. Sturm put together a strong resume while coaching the Ontario Reign over the last few years, and the Bruins will be hoping that he can do the same for them from here.
Due to this, let's go over five specific players who could end up thriving with Sturm as the Bruins' head coach now.
Casey Mittelstadt
Casey Mittelstadt is a player who the Bruins will certainly be hoping gets things back on track during the 2025-26 season. The 2017 first-round pick had a tough season for his standards in 2024-25, as he recorded 15 goals and 40 points in 81 games split between the Colorado Avalanche and Bruins. However, he notably struggled after being acquired by the Bruins, as he had four goals, two assists, and a minus-17 rating in 18 contests.
Mittelstadt struggled to find his fit in former interim head coach Joe Sacco's system, and that certainly has the potential to change with Sturm now running things behind the bench. Furthermore, with Mittelstadt still only being 26 years old and Sturm having a strong resume when it comes to developing young players, they could end up being a great match in Boston.
Viktor Arvidsson
Viktor Arvidsson is another Bruins forward who could benefit big time with Sturm being behind the team's bench. While Arvidsson is a veteran rather than a young player, he already has previous experience with Sturm. This is because Sturm was Arvidsson's assistant coach during the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Kings.
Furthermore, while speaking NHL.com's Eric Russo shortly after being acquired by the Bruins from the Edmonton Oilers, Arvidsson opened up about having "a really good relationship" with Sturm during his days on the Kings. Thus, Arvidsson certainly could benefit from playing for a coach he knows so well, especially when noting that there is a good chance that he will have a top-six role with the Bruins.
Arvidsson also had a strong 2021-22 season with the Kings while Sturm was his assistant, as he recorded 20 goals and 49 points in 66 games. Perhaps playing for Sturm again could help Arvidsson get his offensive totals back up.
John Beecher
John Beecher will be another Bruin to keep an eye on next season. The 2019 first-round pick is still trying to break out and cement himself as an impactful NHL player, but he has naturally had some growing pains early on in his career. This past season was a quiet one from the 24-year-old forward, as he had just three goals and eight assists in 78 games for the Original Six club.
While Beecher has yet to truly break out for the Bruins, it is fair to wonder if that could change with Sturm. As noted above, Sturm has had success with developing younger players, and there is still time for Beecher to hit a new level for the Original Six club. Thus, it will be intriguing to see if Sturm's coaching will end up helping the Elmira, New York native take that next step.
Matt Poitras
Matt Poitras is certainly a young forward who could benefit having Sturm as his new head coach. The 21-year-old center is one of the Bruins' brightest prospects but is still looking to claim himself a permanent spot in Boston's top nine. Having a former NHL player like Sturm coaching him could help him take that next step and become just that.
There is no question that Poitras is one of the prospects that the Bruins are hoping will become an important player for them later down the road. Thus, bringing in a coach like Sturm who has helped plenty of young players take that next step certainly could end up being very beneficial for Poitras.
Fraser Minten
The Bruins will also be hoping that Fraser Minten benefits from having Sturm behind the bench. Like Poitras, Minten is one of the Bruins' top forward prospects and a player who they are expecting will become a part of their core later down the road. With Sturm behind the bench, Minten should get plenty of chances to succeed, and he could have a notable role on their roster as soon as next season.
Ultimately, with Minten being a young player for the Bruins who possesses good upside both offensively and defensively, he could end up being an amazing fit in Sturm's system. It will be fascinating to see what kind of season he has for the Bruins in 2025-26 because of it.
