The Boston Bruins did not have a lot of room to make a ton of moves at last season’s trade deadline in March. With little cap space but still needing to bolster up the blue line, they traded for Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round draft pick. Unlike most trade deadline acquisitions, Peeke came with another season on his current contract rather than hitting the free agency market this summer, meaning that he has a full season ahead of him in Boston.
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Peeke was not good in Columbus last season. He was considered a defensive liability and only appeared in 23 games, averaging under 16 minutes of ice time a night. But, he fared better in Boston in the final stretch of the regular season. He appeared in 15 games, averaged a full two minutes more of ice time, and registered a plus-one rating.
Things were also looking good for him heading into the playoffs until an injury during round one against the Toronto Maple Leafs halted his momentum. He returned against the Florida Panthers in the second round, but it wasn’t quite the same and the team as a whole had a number of issues in that series. But now, he is healthy and presumed to slot in on the third pairing on the right side of the defense. After a not-so-great start to his career in Columbus, he has a real shot this season to take advantage of the change in scenery and establish himself as a legitimate NHL defenseman.
Building on Small Sample from 2023-24
Sometimes, for whatever reason, players just need a change of scenery in order to really unlock the full potential of their game. That was obviously what general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins front office were banking on when they traded for Peeke.
In a small sample size, the 26-year-old was decent for the Bruins and a step up from what he had done in his first 23 games of the season. No, he’s not going to be on the top pairing or play major minutes, but he was solid, held his own, and didn’t make detrimental mistakes. The vision was there. He has a lot of things that the team likes, and joins the giants on the Bruins’ blue line, clocking in at 6-foot-3.
Peeke was at his best in the first round of the playoffs against the Maple Leafs. The playoffs in general were not the greatest…
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