Mammoth Sign Andrew Peeke
After losing Sean Durzi in the Vincent Trocheck trade earlier this week and Ian Cole to Chicago in free agency, Utah’s defensive depth has taken a hit. The team is taking a step towards helping replenish some of that depth as the team announced they’ve signed blueliner Andrew Peeke to a one-year, $1MM contract. GM Bill Armstrong released the following statement about the signing:
Andrew is a big, mobile defenseman that brings depth to our blue line. He’s a smart player with offensive upside, and we’re happy to add him to the club.
The 28-year-old spent last season with Boston, playing in 77 games. He had five goals, nine assists, 135 blocked shots, and 105 hits while averaging 19:23 per night of ice time. For his career, Peeke has 75 points in 386 games over parts of six seasons between Boston and Columbus, while contributing over 700 hits and blocks.
Given his track record, it’s rather surprising to see Peeke’s contract come in this low and on a one-year commitment. For context, he made $2.75MM per season for three years on his old deal. Given the escalation of salaries (especially for right-shot defenders), Peeke was expected to secure a raise on his next deal, not this big of a decrease. That’s either a sign of the market starting to tighten up or he had the Mammoth in mind as a specific target.
Peeke should have a similar role in Utah as the one he had last season, one that saw him split time between the second and third pairings while logging a lot of time shorthanded. A lot will depend on the readiness of some of their prospects such as Dmitriy Simashev and Maveric Lamoureux, who could push him down on the depth chart. Even if Peeke winds up on the third pairing, it’s still a pretty team-friendly deal for Utah, who now has just under $3.7MM remaining in cap space, per PuckPedia.
Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic was the first to report the deal.
Afternoon Notes: Robertson, Bruins, Byram
The Dallas Stars are weighing all options with their leading scorer in need of a new contract. Dallas remains in contract negotiations with star winger Jason Robertson, but are also continuing to explore his trade market, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Robertson led Dallas with 45 goals and 96 points this season. The 2025-26 season marked his second time cresting both 45 goals and 50 assists in the same season, joining his career-best 109-point season in 2022-23.
Robertson will enter restricted free agency if he does not sign a new deal by July 1st. At 26 years old, he could rival the 100-point mark through the bulk of his next contract, though its price tag would eat up more than the projected $10.14MM cap space that Dallas wields, per PuckPedia. The Stars would need a cap-clearing move to bring Robertson back on a deal comparable to Mikko Rantanen (eight-years, $96MM). Signing such a deal would solidify the Stars’ core – with Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Thomas Harley all signed through at least 2029. In such high-pressure talks, the Stars are doing their due diligence to vet all options.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Boston Bruins are hoping to re-sign both winger Viktor Arvidsson and defender Andrew Peeke this summer, general manager Don Sweeney told reporters including Bridgette Proulx of WEEI 93.7. The pair represent Boston’s top unrestricted free agents with free agency set to begin soon. Sweeney specified that there is interest from all sides on finding an agreeable extension. Peeke appeared in a shutdown, second-pair role for much of the year. He was a reliable hard-worker and finished the season with 14 points, 105 hits, and 135 shot blocks in 77 games played. Arvidsson also made an impact from the middle of the lineup. He scored 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games, an encouraging rise after Arvidsson failed to crack 30 points with the Edmonton Oilers last year. Both players should have spots in the lineup carved out for them should they return to Boston.
- Re-signing new acquisition Bowen Byram will be a top priority for the Chicago Blackhawks before free agency opens per Scott Powers of The Athletic. The two sides will target a long-term deal, which should solidify Byram’s standing as one of Chicago’s top defensemen for the foreseeable future. The 25 year old has a career-year with the Buffalo Sabres this season, marked by 11 goals and 42 points, both career-highs. He notched that scoring while spending much of the year next to former first-overall picks Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Despite strong company, Byram was not interested in signing a new deal with the Sabres per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. Instead, he sought a path to a number-one role on a blue-line. That is an opportunity he should have in full with a Blackhawks team that tried, and failed, to stick Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Alex Vlasic into their starring role last season.
Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins
The NHL offseason is rapidly approaching, and for a team like the Boston Bruins—fresh off a competitive but ultimately disappointing exit in the 2026 playoffs, the summer months offer a pivotal transition point. With a solid core in place, the Bruins face the task of pivoting from a playoff participant to a Stanley Cup contender.
Key Restricted Free Agents
D Jordan Harris – As the lone RFA currently on the NHL roster, Harris is the primary focus for internal contract negotiations. At 25, he has already gained significant league-wide experience, having logged 172 appearances across Montreal, Columbus, and Boston. While his 2025-26 ice time was limited, his mobility and reliability make him a logical candidate for a “prove-it” bridge deal. Boston will look to lock him in at a manageable cap hit as they evaluate whether he represents a long-term fixture in their defensive corps or a piece that needs to be supplemented by external upgrades.
Other RFAs: G Luke Cavallin, F Riley Duran, F Alexis Gendron, F Fabian Lysell, F Matt Poitras, F Max Wanner, G Simon Zajicek.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Viktor Arvidsson – Arvidsson provided a veteran presence for the Bruins this past season, offering a consistent scoring touch in the middle-six. However, at 33, he now hits the open market at a time when the Bruins are prioritizing younger, more sustainable depth. While he remains a proven commodity capable of contributing on the power play, his future in Boston likely hinges on whether the team can land a higher-impact offensive upgrade. If a match doesn’t materialize, he is a prime candidate for a contender looking for a reliable, experienced winger on a short-term contract.
D Andrew Peeke – Peeke’s value as a right-shot defensive specialist was on full display this season, particularly in his ability to eat minutes and lead the team in blocked shots. Despite his importance to the team’s defensive structure, industry buzz suggests that both parties may be heading toward a split. With Boston actively hunting for a more dynamic, puck-moving presence to bolster their blue line, Peeke appears likely to test the market, where his specialized skill set as a steady, reliable hand will undoubtedly attract attention from clubs seeking defensive stability.
Other UFAs: F Matej Blumel, F Patrick Brown, D Michael Callahan, F Riley Tufte, F John Farinacci, F Navrin Mutter, F Georgii Merkulov, D Victor Soderstrom.
Projected Cap Space
The Bruins enter the offseason with $15.42 million at their disposal. In a vacuum, this is a healthy figure, but it must be managed with surgical precision. With the team needing to bolster their scoring depth and potentially overhaul parts of the defensive rotation, Sweeney will likely have to balance the high costs of a thin UFA market against the potential of trade-market acquisitions. Whether they choose to hunt for marquee talent or invest in filling multiple depth roles, the Bruins’ ability to optimize this cap space will be the defining theme of their 2026 summer.
Latest On Bruins’ Deadline Plans
The Bruins find themselves squarely in contention for a playoff berth amid deadline week, not a spot most expected them to be in back in training camp. Their 5-2-3 record in their last 10 has somewhat upended their push, but they still remain with a a 54.2% chance at a postseason spot, per MoneyPuck – a slightly favorable coin flip.
Amid a crowded field, the Bruins aren’t keen to sell off more assets after last season’s deadline fire sale. Instead, general manager Don Sweeney yesterday reiterated his desire to reward his group for a strong start, but confirmed they’re not much concerned with the rental market and are instead focused on “moving forward as well.”
Sweeney did add yesterday that he’s “not in a rush to usher guys out the door” when asked about the futures of pending unrestricted free agents Andrew Peeke and Viktor Arvidsson (via Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal). That’s a bit of a course reversal from last month when The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa indicated they were more willing to dangle Peeke for futures (or a longer-term upgrade elsewhere on the roster), although they weren’t keen on moving on from Arvidsson at that time, either.
It does make perfect sense that Sweeney won’t sell the farm for a pending UFA as he has in years past, even with the B’s in playoff position. Last season’s quick retool has paid immense dividends thus far, but isn’t complete. There’s a bit of restraint shown in not accelerating it too much, especially amid an incredibly crowded field of Eastern Conference competitors down the stretch.
That said, if a name can help them for the rest of the decade (or at least past this season), it’ll be something they consider. Per The Fourth Period’s updated trade board today, they’ve at least kicked the tires on veteran names with term all around the lineup like Jake DeBrusk, Justin Faulk, Nazem Kadri, and Rasmus Ristolainen, among others. Another report last week linked them to Flyers winger Owen Tippett. It’s also clear they’re willing to leverage some of their mid-to-high-end prospects, namely pivot Matthew Poitras, to make it happen.
Bruins Willing To Listen On Andrew Peeke
The Bruins won’t embark on the near full-scale teardown they did at last year’s deadline when they shipped out Brandon Carlo and Brad Marchand for futures. They’re in the thick of the playoff race this time around and come out of the break with a 61% chance of clinching a berth, per MoneyPuck.
That won’t completely preclude the B’s from listening to offers on roster players if it helps them replenish their long-uninspiring prospect pool, though. They’re willing to part ways with pending unrestricted free agent Andrew Peeke to help them add to their prospect and pick arsenal, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wrote this week.
The other notable pending UFA in Boston’s ranks is winger Viktor Arvidsson. He’s played a key role on their second line this season, though, and his 14 goals and 28 points in 45 games are valuable for a team light on scoring depth. They “would not be as quick to break up their second line if the return is for a mid- to late-round selection,” Shinzawa writes on Arvidsson.
Boston gave up a third-round pick, plus depth piece Jakub Zboril, to acquire Peeke from the Blue Jackets at the 2023 deadline. He wasn’t a rental at the time, having inked a three-year, $8.25MM extension with Columbus in the prior training camp. Since he doesn’t have any term left, Boston likely won’t be able to recoup as much value as they paid for him unless the trade market takes a big swing toward sellers.
That said, Peeke is having his best season as a Bruin. After slotting as their third-pairing right D behind Charlie McAvoy and Carlo last year, he’s assumed second-pairing shutdown duties with Hampus Lindholm with Carlo out of the picture. That pairing has been woeful offensively but has done its job in preventing chances against, allowing only 2.43 expected goals against per 60 minutes. That’s fourth out of Boston’s 13 pairings with at least 60 minutes of ice time together.
The bump in role has led to increased ice time, with Peeke averaging over 19 minutes per game for the first time since the 2022-23 season. He’s recorded a 4-8–12 scoring line in 56 games with a -7 rating. Peeke, who turns 28 next month, also leads the Bruins with 101 blocks and ranks seventh with 67 hits.
East Notes: Chinakhov, Peeke, Bear
While Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov has already returned to Columbus in advance of training camp, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that his trade request hasn’t been rescinded. The 24-year-old started strong with 14 points in 21 games but then suffered a back injury that kept him out for several months while undergoing a treatment back in Russia that the team didn’t approve of. Then, upon returning, his ice time was more limited while also being a healthy scratch multiple times, resulting in just one assist in his final nine appearances. Chinakhov has one year left on his bridge contract worth $2.1MM and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team looking to make a change-of-scenery type of trade showing interest in Chinakhov in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke played a fairly big role in the second half of last season, logging nearly 21 minutes a night when their back end dealt with some major injuries. While he fared relatively well in those extra minutes, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the team hasn’t initiated contract extension talks yet and could wait until later in the season when they have a better sense of where they stand. Peeke was brought in at the 2024 trade deadline from Columbus and has largely been a fourth or fifth defender in Boston. He has one year left on his contract with a $2.75MM cap charge and should be able to get a bump up on that on his next deal.
- The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that prospect Carter Bear will not take part in their rookie games but is expected to be ready for training camp. Detroit picked the forward 13th overall back in June following a strong season with WHL Everett that saw him score 40 goals and add 42 assists in just 56 games. However, he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in early March and it appears that Detroit isn’t going to chance it with the injury and will hold him out this weekend as a precaution.
Team USA Announces 2025 World Championship Roster
Team USA has announced the first 18 players on their World Championship roster. The lineup contains all three goaltenders, six of seven defensemen, and nine of 13 forwards. The roster is led by American stars like Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Brady Skjei. That trio will look to take a mixed group of experience to Team USA’s first gold medal appearance since 1960.
The American roster notably features top young players like Frank Nazar, Mason Lohrei, Cutter Gauthier, Logan Cooley, Jackson LaCombe, and Matty Beniers. Beniers offers the most experience on the Men’s Team, having joined USA at the 2021 World Championship and 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored two points in each tournament. Team USA will also continue their trend of bringing collegiate goaltending by adding Los Angeles Kings prospect Hampton Slukynsky to the roster. Slukynsky led the Fargo Force to a USHL championship last season, then won Western Michigan’s starting role and carried the school to their first NCAA National Championship as a freshman this season.
Team USA will still need to add four forwards and one defenseman. The World Championship will run from May 9th to May 25th in Herning, Denmark – giving the Americans a chance to add some more firepower after playoff exits. Jeff Kealty is serving as USA’s general manager, while San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky heads a coaching staff that also features Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci, Chciago Blackhawks assistant Kevin Dean, and Michigan State University head coach Adam Nightingale.
The current roster is as follows:
F Tage Thompson (Sabres)
F Drew O’Connor (Canucks)
F Frank Nazar (Blackhawks)
F Michael McCarron (Predators)
F Clayton Keller (Hockey Club)
F Cutter Gauther (Ducks)
F Conor Garland (Canucks)
F Logan Cooley (Hockey Club)
F Matty Beniers (Kraken)
D Alex Vlasic (Blackhawks)
D Brady Skjei (Predators)
D Andrew Peeke (Bruins)
D Mason Lohrei (Bruins)
D Jackson LaCombe (Ducks)
D Michael Kesselring (Hockey Club)
G Joey Daccord (Kraken)
G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings)
Morning Notes: Peeke, Pionk, Goncalves, Kastelic, Tufte
The Boston Bruins will soon receive some relief on the blue-line, with defenseman Andrew Peeke returning to the team’s practices per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Peeke hasn’t played since leaving Boston’s November 5th match against Toronto following a hit from Max Pacioretty that seemed to bounce Peeke’s shoulder awkwardly off the boards. He was ruled out week-to-week with an upper-body injury soon after, though participating in practice marks a big step in his path back to the lineup. Peeke isn’t expected to play in Boston’s Monday game against Columbus but could suit up when the team hosts Utah on Thursday.
Peeke was joined on the shelf by Hampus Lindholm, who’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The pair of absences quickly drained Boston’s top-four of its impactful, defensive stalwarts. Peeke rotated through the lineup when healthy, serving anywhere from 13 minutes in a sheltered role to 20 minutes on the top pair. He’s recorded two assists, 18 hits, and 21 blocked shots in 13 games. While not a thrilling stat line, Boston has felt every bit of Peeke’s absence – averaging the fifth-highest goals-against per-game (3.60 in five games) since he left the lineup. Upcoming matchups against Columbus, Utah, and Detroit should give Boston a chance to ease Peeke back into the lineup.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5K, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for “clipping” Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist on Saturday. Pionk went in for a hip-check but caught more of Boqvist’s knee than anything else. No penalty was issued for the hit. Boqvist nursed his left-knee for a while, but didn’t need helped off the ice. Pionk played 20 minutes in the 5-0 loss, going without any major stat changes – but still boasting 17 points in 18 games this season. He’ll continue to be a main fixture of the Jets lineup – and likely continue delivering heavy hip-checks – after avoiding suspension here.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have once again assigned forward Gage Goncalves to the minor leagues, after he stepped into a third-line role in the team’s Saturday night win over New Jersey. Goncalves played a career-high 15:32 worth of ice time in the outing, though he only put up two hits and one shot. Goncalves has yet to record his first NHL point, despite four appearances this year and two last year. He’ll return to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s already posted six assists in five games – the only Crunch still scoring above a point-per-game pace.
- The Boston Bruins received a couple more updates at Sunday’s practice, with forwards Mark Kastelic designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and Riley Tufte expected to be sent to the minor leagues per Steve Conroy. Tufte played in 7:46 of Boston’s Saturday overtime-loss to St. Louis, with a -2 his only stat change. Tufte has yet to record a point in three games this year, though he’s managed three points in 21 career NHL games while serving as a go-to call-up since 2021. Kastelic has been much more productive – posting seven points in 19 games this season – while still serving a fourth-line role.
Bruins’ Andrew Peeke Out Week-To-Week
An upper-body injury is expected to keep Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke on the shelf for multiple weeks, head coach Jim Montgomery told Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal.
Peeke sustained the injury on Tuesday night versus the Maple Leafs, leaving the game in the first period after being hit by Max Pacioretty (video link via Sportsnet). Pacioretty was not penalized on the play.
A second-round pick of the Blue Jackets back in 2016, Peeke has flashed upside as a physical stay-at-home defender but was overtaxed in a top-four role in Columbus during his first couple of years as a full-time NHLer. He’s received reduced minutes since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign and was acquired by the Bruins at the trade deadline for a 2027 third-round pick and Jakub Zbořil. He’s played a third-pairing role on a nightly basis for the Bruins through the first month of this season, however, only being healthy scratched once. The right-shot defenseman is averaging 16:12 per game and has logged two assists, ranking third on the team with 21 blocks.
The Bruins will look to Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon to factor in on a nightly basis with Peeke out after both were healthy scratches multiple times in the early going. Boston will likely make a recall from AHL Providence in the coming days to have an extra healthy defenseman on hand, and since they have an open roster spot, they can do so without placing Peeke on injured reserve. That could be veteran Jordan Oesterle, who’s appeared in parts of 10 straight NHL seasons with the Oilers, Blackhawks, Coyotes, Red Wings, and Flames and has six points in six games for the P-Bruins to start the season.
Atlantic Notes: Peeke, Heinen, Bennett
Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke is available to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last two and a half weeks with a finger injury (via Conor Ryan of Boston.com). The 26-year-old hasn’t played since Game 2 of the Bruins first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and played just 38 games in the regular season. Peeke dressed in 15 games for the Bruins down the stretch tallying just two assists. He finished the regular season with a single goal and nine assists in 38 games and saw his average ice time for the season drop by almost five full minutes.
Boston acquired Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick. Zboril was a former first-round pick of the Bruins who was selected during Boston’s disastrous 2015 draft.
No word yet on who Peeke could replace if he does dress for Game 3.
In other Atlantic Division notes:
- Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters that forward Danton Heinen remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (via Conor Ryan). Heinen has missed four consecutive games and hasn’t scored a goal since April 13th, a span of seven games. The 28-year-old bounced back this year in Boston after a down year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Heinen posted 17 goals and 19 assists in 74 games after signing a one-year, $775K contract on October 30th. When Heinen is ready to return, his spot in the lineup may not be guaranteed after the emergence of young forward Justin Brazeau who has made an impression the past few weeks.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett will be a game-time decision tonight for Game 3 against the Bruins. The Holland Landing, Ontario native hasn’t played since April 23rd when he took a Brandon Montour shot off his left hand in the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bennett would be a big boost for the Panthers after he posted 20 goals and 21 assists in 69 games during the regular season. Besides the boost to their depth scoring, Bennett would also add a physical element to the Panthers lineup should he return, something that Florida would certainly welcome after the theatrics of Game 2.