By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The first day of the 2026 National Hockey League Draft had arrived at KeyBank Center for the Boston Bruins in Buffalo, New York. Heading into the first round of the draft, the Bruins held the 23rd overall pick. However, general manager Don Sweeney got to work immediately to upgrade the Bruins’ roster.
The Bruins traded their 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft and a 2028 first-round draft pick (via the Florida Panthers) to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward JJ Peterka. The 2028 first-round draft pick is top-10 protected. This marks the second consecutive year in which a team has traded Peterka, as he was acquired by the Mammoth from the Buffalo Sabres last offseason.
Peterka has recorded 197 points in 320 games in his NHL career. Peterka’s best season was in the 2024-25 season with the Sabres when he recorded career-highs of 41 assists and 68 points. However, Peterka had a tough first season in Utah, finishing with 47 points in the regular season, then recording zero points in six games during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Peterka’s 25 goals were the fourth-most on the Mammoth’s roster.
Even with a down season in Utah, there’s optimism surrounding Peterka. At 24 years old, Peterka still has the potential to be great. Peterka is under contract for four more years at an AAV of $7.7 million. Peterka has missed a combined ten games since the 2022-23 season, so the Bruins are getting a healthy player.
The Bruins have key forwards on the roster who will be unrestricted free agents next year, including Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Kuraly, and Michael Eyssimont. Acquiring Peterka, who is under contract for four years, was pivotal for Sweeney to acquire from Utah. After acquiring Peterka, the Bruins now have under $8 million in cap space.
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