By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter / X @RyanJBosworth
The Bruins are seemingly exploring the trade market, according to The Fourth Period’s 2025 Summer Trade Watchlist. The Bruins have been reportedly linked to left-handed Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram, right-handed Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
As for Rasmus Andersson and J.G. Pageau, this isn’t the first time Boston has been linked to either of these players. The Bruins reportedly looked into Andersson following the conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season after losing Brandon Carlo via trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 Trade Deadline.
Andersson, RHD, could slot in where Carlo previously was, as losing the former Boston defender left a noticeable hole in the Bruins’ blueline, and he would bring some added offense that Carlo didn’t have. The Malmo, Sweden native, who has spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, finished the 2024-25 regular season with 11-20-31 through 81 games played, and posted a plus/minus of -38.
J.G. Pageau’s name surfaced in relation to the Bruins before, most recently around the 2025 NHL Entry Draft when the New York Islanders were looking to trade for the Bruins’ seventh overall pick. It obviously didn’t gain enough traction, but Pageau is a name the Bruins were interested in adding due to their lack of center depth.
The biggest downside to Pageau is his age, as he’s 32 years old and heading into his 14th season in the NHL. Last season, through 79 games, Pageau posted 14-28-42, slotting in on New York’s second line. He’s headed into the final year of his six year, $30 million contract, as he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Pageau has a 16 team no trade list, so there’s definitely potential that he isn’t moved, but Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche is certainly taking calls, as reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, but Darche said the trade needs to blow him out of the water.
The final name the Bruins are being reportedly linked to is Buffalo defender Bowen Byram. Byram, was a former first-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, taken fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 24 year old defender from Cranbrook, British Columbia played the full 82 games for Buffalo this past season, and went on to post 7-31-39 with a plus/minus of +11.
Despite being the number one name on the Summer Trade Watch List, Byram just signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. At the end of his new contract, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.
This extension could be motivation for some teams, though, seeing that part of the process is done and they’d have two years with Byram locked up. The Fourth Period also mentioned that Buffalo is looking to add a top-six forward to their lineup, so that’s likely what they would want in return.
It’s not clear what the return could end up being for these players, especially whereas the Bruins aren’t in a position to be giving a lot away at this time, but there are certain assets within the Bruins organization that, in the right package, could be appealing to any of these teams.
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