The Boston Bruins are currently in an interesting position. They’ve made great improvements in 2025-26, and are a much better team then I think many people suspected they would be. At times they have looked like a real contender, and then at others, they could barely scrape together a single period of solid defense. They are currently sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, but are only seven points back from the Tampa Bay Lightning in first place. They currently have 63 points, tied with the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens who have the same amount of points in less games to put them third and fourth in the standings.
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This is a team that can make the playoffs and is currently in the final wild card spot in the East. They should be in the mix until the final few games of the season. Whether they actually make it or not will come down to consistency following the Olympics pause. If they put together another long, multi-game losing streak in March like they’ve done several times this season, they may find themselves in too deep of a hole to dig themselves back out of.
One thing Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney has done well in his tenure, particularly in recent seasons, is navigate the trade deadline. With the date drawing closer, deals are already going into motion and focus is turning to who will be available.
The Bruins could be either buyers or sellers, and the next few weeks will be very telling to determine which way they end up going, or if they’ll end up being largely inactive. They were rumored to have been in on Rasmus Andersson, though it sounds like that was never really going to be an option.
While the team isn’t quite enough of a contender to go all in at the deadline this season, there are some players worth kicking the tires on that could be intriguing longer term investments for this roster and could help the Bruins be real contenders going into 2026-27.
Dougie Hamilton
While it seems less certain than it was a few weeks ago that the New Jersey Devils will be moving defenseman Dougie Hamilton at the deadline, there’s still a chance he’ll be available. In the latest rumors, it seems that there might be some interest from the Bruins in bringing him in. The right-shot defenseman is a legitimate offensive talent who can quarterback a power play. He’d bring depth and offensive talent to a blue line that has been a bit of a mess all season, and ravaged by injuries.
So far in 2025-26, Hamilton has six goals and 19 points while averaging 21:33 of ice time a night. A trade to Boston would reunite him with the franchise that originally drafted him ninth overall in the 2011 draft. He was later dealt at the 2015 NHL Draft to the Calgary Flames for three picks, including the 15th overall selection that was used to select Zachary Senyshyn.
Reports at the time talked of a soured relationship between Hamilton and the front office, so with a 10-team no-trade clause, who even knows if he’d approve of a deal to Boston. But it may be worth checking in on since he’d fulfill a need for the Bruins and would be a longer term addition. He is signed through 2027-28 to a contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $9 million, so money would have to be moved around and the Devils would probably need to retain salary for a deal between the two teams to come to fruition. But with the cap continuing to go up the next two seasons, it isn’t as steep a price for a known offensive defenseman talent as one may initially think.
There are a lot of team names being tossed around as potential destinations for Hamilton, including more serious contenders who are going to be willing to part with more assets for a player of his caliber, so the likelihood of him returning to Boston is probably on the lower end. Still, if they were interested in Andersson, he is another guy that should be on the Bruins’ radar as trade season fully gets underway.
Andrew Mangiapane
Some guys just need to be in the right environment to unlock their full potential. Look at what Morgan Geekie has done since arriving in Boston. For Andrew Mangiapane, things are not working out with the Edmonton Oilers. The 29-year-old only has six goals and 12 points in 47 games this season and has been mostly relegated to a fourth-line role and has even been a healthy scratch at times this season. He’s clearly frustrated and his agents have been granted permission to look for a trade for him.
He’s signed through 2026-27 with a $3.6 million AAV, so again, would be a longer term asset then just a potential playoff run this season. While he has not been able to replicate his success from the 2021-22 season when he had 35 goals for the Calgary Flames, there isn’t reason to believe he can’t contribute a solid 20 goals in the right environment.
The Bruins are always looking for more depth on offense and they need goal scorers. Given his current situation, he also probably wouldn’t be too expensive to acquire. The franchise currently have eight draft picks for 2026 and some prospects who may be in need of a change of scenery that could be intriguing for the Oilers.
Mangiapane does have a no trade clause so who knows if he’d be interested in coming to Boston, but again, he’s someone that Sweeney should at least inquire about.
Deadline Drawing Closer
The NHL will have a pause on trades go into effect on Feb. 4 due to the Olympics while the official trade deadline is Mar. 6. The Bruins could be either buyers, sellers, or some combination of both. Many of last year’s deals have been paying dividends so far in 2025-26, and have helped land them a second first-round pick in this upcoming draft. They won’t have the same fire sale that they did last season, but this team clearly knows the benefits of a well done deadline.
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The Bruins have been streaky all season, and will be pushing just to make a playoff spot with a deep run seeming unlikely, though stranger things have happened in the NHL. While it will be worth to check on the availability and price of a couple of guys, the front office should exercise caution at this year’s deadline and focus on continuing to build for long term success, rather than go all in on this season when things have been so up and down.
