Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been relatively quiet in free agency so far this summer. So far, the team has mostly addressed roster needs through trades. Boston needed to replace Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke, and did so by acquiring J.J. Peterka and Will Borgen. The deals should ultimately make the Bruins better in 2026-27.
Still, Boston could look to bring in one more quality forward this offseason. Sweeney has a relatively young group of attackers and extra funds to use. According to PuckPedia.com, the Bruins still have over $5 million in projected cap space. Nevertheless, Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy believes that the Boston Bruins will avoid bringing in another veteran forward in free agency.
“The oft-sidelined but still talented Patrik Laine is still available, as is Eeli Tolvanen, a 27-year-old wing who scored 23 goals for Seattle two seasons ago,” writes Conroy. “Vladimir Tarasenko is still unsigned. The B’s have approximately $5 million still left under the cap. The inclination here is to live or die with the kids, and the feeling is that is club’s as well. But there are options.”
Tarasenko has specifically been linked to the Boston Bruins in recent weeks. The veteran winger has proven to be a productive player throughout his impressive career, and Boston can likely afford him. The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently predicted that Tarasenko would earn a one-year deal in the neighborhood of $3.3 million. Despite this, Sweeney and Co. seem set on giving their young forwards, particularly on the wing, a chance this season.
Boston Bruins More Likely to Target Vladimir Tarasenko if They Were a True Contender
GettyVladimir Tarasenko previously helped the St. Louis Blues beat the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
According to Daily Faceoff, the Boston Bruins will go with David Pastrnak, Peterka, Morgan Geekie, and Casey Mittelstadt as their top-six wingers. Among these forwards, Tarasenko is perhaps only better than Mittelstadt at the moment. The former Wild star had five more points than the current Bruin this past season.
Tarasenko could potentially be an option on Boston’s third line. Sweeney and the Bruins, however, are high on James Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov. The club also has to get Matt Poitras ample playing time in 2026-27, assuming Boston re-signs him. Poitras is currently a restricted free agent.
The Boston Bruins would likely be more inclined to target a player like Tarasenko if they were closer to winning the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, Boston is expected to remain a fringe playoff team in the next year or two. Although the additions of Peterka and Borgen should help, several other Atlantic Division teams have improved this summer as well.
Boston Still Interested in Strengthening its Defense
Sweeney and the Boston Bruins are expected to see what their young forwards can do early in the upcoming campaign and then go from there. If a majority of them pan out, the club will be thrilled. If not, Boston would still have money set aside to make a significant move ahead of the next trade deadline.
The Bruins offense may be fairly set, but their defensive pairings are still up in the air. Mason Lohrei has been linked with a trade away from Boston for months now. While a move has not yet materialized, there is still time for a deal to get done. The Bruins remain interested in improving their blue line in the near future.
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