Boston Bruins
Peterka, 24, has hit 50 points in two of his four full seasons in the NHL.
JJ Peterka has three seasons with 20-plus goals scored. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
June 26, 2026 | 7:04 PM
1 minute to read
The Boston Bruins are reportedly jumping into an already hectic NHL offseason.
According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, the Boston Bruins are finalizing a deal to acquire Utah Mammoth forward JJ Peterka. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic added that Boston is trading two first-round picks to Utah — the Bruins’ 2026 first-rounder (No. 23 overall) and the Florida Panthers’ 2028 first-round pick (top 10 protected).
Boston initially acquired that Florida first-round pick as a conditional pick from the Brad Marchand trade in March 2025.
Peterka, 24, is a fleet-footed, scoring winger who is signed through the end of the 2029-30 season at a $7.7 million cap hit.
He is coming off a slightly disappointing 2025-26 campaign with Utah, which traded for him and signed him to a five-year, $38.5 million contract as part of a blockbuster deal with the Sabres in June 2025.
After recording 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) over 77 games in his final season with Buffalo in 2024-25, Peterka saw his numbers dip in Utah — tallying 25 goals and 22 assists over 82 games.
Still, Peterka is a young winger who has yet to enter his prime that already has some established production to lean on (20-plus goals in each of the last three seasons) — to go along with a long-term contract already in place.
JJ Peterka, reportedly acquired by BOS, is a top six rushing winger with a great release, slick hands, and nice timing off the puck. Rounded his game out a bit this season but there might have been too many cooks for him to be as impactful offensively as in the past. pic.twitter.com/MYxku5vUjv
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 26, 2026
Given both Don Sweeney and Cam Neely’s repeated musings for Boston needing more speed and skill in its lineup moving forward, a top-six talent like Peterka fits the bill. Even though Peterka ranked in the 67th percentile in total skating speed (per NHL Edge tracking data), Peterka ranked in the 97th percentile with 203 skating bursts between 20-22 miles per hour.
Adding a winger like Peterka could serve as a replacement for veteran Viktor Arvidsson, who has a similar profile as an undersized, speedy forward. Arvidsson is expected to hit free agency on July 1.
Trading for Peterka also continues the trend of the Bruins identifying German-born NHLers since Marco Sturm — who hails from Germany — took over as head coach. Peterka, like Sturm, is from Bavaria, with Peterka growing up in Munich.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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