Grading the Bruins’ Trade for Mammoth’s JJ Peterka

The Utah Mammoth have traded JJ Peterka to the Boston Bruins for the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft and the Florida Panthers 2028 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected. That pick was originally acquired by the Bruins in the Brad Marchand trade.

Less than a year after the Mammoth acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres and signed him to a five-year deal, Peterka is on the move, about to play for his third team in the past three seasons.

The Mammoth Add Some Potential Trade Assets

The Mammoth made a mistake trading for Peterka. While he wasn’t bad in his one season in Utah, his 47 points were a decline from his 68 points the year prior. His defensive stats improved, but it wasn’t enough to save him from a dreadful postseason where he was benched during Game 4 and failed to produce a single point in six games. Peterka simply did not fit into the Mammoth’s system.

General manager Bill Armstrong has rectified that mistake and picked up two first-round picks while doing it. The Mammoth now have two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, with their own first-round pick being at 19th overall. The last time they had two first-round picks in the same draft was in 2024, when they drafted Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin.

However, the Mammoth have an arsenal of top prospects who have played a season or less in the NHL, including Iginla, Beaudoin, Caleb Desnoyers, Daniil But, and Dmitri Simashev. With the Mammoth entering their window of Stanley Cup contention, these first-round picks might not be their property for much longer.

Rumors have swirled around the Mammoth being interested in Jason Robertson and Dylan Larkin. Two first-round picks could be some of the main assets of a trade for those forwards. Even if the Mammoth don’t use their two first-round picks this season, they have one in 2027 and now two in 2028 with the acquisition of the Panthers’ pick.

The departure of Peterka means that there could be an opening for someone in the top six. Kailer Yamamoto took Peterka’s spot in that group towards the end of the season, but he is a pending unrestricted free agent. Again, that spot could be filled by whoever they trade for with those first-round picks if they choose to trade them.

Ultimately, regardless if the Mammoth decide to use those two first-round picks or trade them, they got those picks for a forward who ultimately didn’t fit into their system. While fans might look at Josh Doan thriving with the Sabres and be disappointed that Peterka didn’t pan out with the Mammoth, getting two top 32 picks for him is a really good move. They’re getting an A for this trade.

The Bruins Bolster Their Top Six

The Bruins struggled in the playoffs to compete with the Sabres’ potent offense. Now they trade for someone who they hope can help fix those issues.

When given the tools to do so, Peterka is easily a 50-point or more player. His shooting percentage during the 2024-25 season was very high, which certainly contributed to a career-high 68-point season. However, another reason why he got so many points was that he had an average of 18:11 of ice time. With the Mammoth this season, his average ice time was 13:39, the second lowest of his career.

With the Bruins, Peterka will certainly be on the top two lines. Alongside someone like Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak, the German forward will have every tool needed to get back to the 68-point season he had with the Sabres.

Peterka isn’t a rental for the Bruins either. When he was acquired from the Sabres for Doan and Michael Kesselring last summer, the Mammoth immediately signed him to a five-year contract.

It’s a bit of an overpay for the Bruins, trading out two first-round picks for a forward who just had his worst season since his rookie year. However, if Peterka can turn it around offensively with better minutes and in a bigger role while also continuing the improved defensive play that he learned with the Mammoth this past season, it might end up being a really solid deal for them. As of right now, the Bruins are getting a C for this trade.

The price was certainly steep for the Bruins, but they wanted the player, and they got him for the next four seasons. He should help out the Bruins’ offense as he heads back to the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, the Mammoth acquire some assets that could easily be put into play to trade for some big-name players. Big game hunting seems to be what Armstrong is doing this summer, and now, he has a big arsenal to do exactly that.