The Boston Bruins did not have a lot of room to make a ton of moves at last season’s trade deadline in March. With little cap space but still needing to bolster up the blue line, they traded for Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round draft pick. Unlike most trade deadline acquisitions, Peeke came with another season on his current contract rather than hitting the free agency market this summer, meaning that he has a full season ahead of him in Boston.
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Peeke was not good in Columbus last season. He was considered a defensive liability and only appeared in 23 games, averaging under 16 minutes of ice time a night. But, he fared better in Boston in the final stretch of the regular season. He appeared in 15 games, averaged a full two minutes more of ice time, and registered a plus-one rating.
Things were also looking good for him heading into the playoffs until an injury during round one against the Toronto Maple Leafs halted his momentum. He returned against the Florida Panthers in the second round, but it wasn’t quite the same and the team as a whole had a number of issues in that series. But now, he is healthy and presumed to slot in on the third pairing on the right side of the defense. After a not-so-great start to his career in Columbus, he has a real shot this season to take advantage of the change in scenery and establish himself as a legitimate NHL defenseman.
Building on Small Sample from 2023-24
Sometimes, for whatever reason, players just need a change of scenery in order to really unlock the full potential of their game. That was obviously what general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins front office were banking on when they traded for Peeke.
In a small sample size, the 26-year-old was decent for the Bruins and a step up from what he had done in his first 23 games of the season. No, he’s not going to be on the top pairing or play major minutes, but he was solid, held his own, and didn’t make detrimental mistakes. The vision was there. He has a lot of things that the team likes, and joins the giants on the Bruins’ blue line, clocking in at 6-foot-3.
Peeke was at his best in the first round of the playoffs against the Maple Leafs. The playoffs in general were not the greatest showing from some of the top guys on the Bruins’ blue line, and an argument could be made that he was one of the top defensemen for the team during the first two games of that series before getting injured. He logged major minutes on the penalty kill, showing his capability to be a strong special teams player. He also had two hits and two blocked shots in those two games.
Obviously, no one ever likes to see anyone get injured, but it was especially disappointing when Peeke got injured because it really seemed like he was building momentum and getting his game figured out after some disappointing play earlier in the season. The biggest hope for him in 2024-25 is to get back that momentum from the playoffs and turn that into a solid, complete 82-game season.
What Should Peeke’s Expectations Be?
The Bruins have a really strong blue line this season that could potentially be one of the best in the league if they’re able to put it all together and guys play to their fullest potential. They are big (Charlie McAvoy is now the shortest member in the presumed lineup at 6-foot-1), and they are talented. With the addition of Nikita Zadorov, they have stronger depth, and there will be good competition at training camp for those final spots. Peeke should make the lineup, but there will be some healthy, internal competition to keep him and the rest of the blue line honest.
Part of being a good coach is putting players in the best position for them to succeed. So far in his tenure in Boston, Jim Montgomery has done a pretty good job of that. Obviously, there are always exceptions, but by and large, the Bruins’ roster has benefitted from playing under him. Peeke was beginning to see the fruition of that before his injury limited him in the playoffs. He found success playing on the third pair and mainly being matched up against the opposing team’s bottom six players. Expect to see that continue in 2024-25.
While Peeke is not going to magically become one of the top defensemen on the team, I think it’s fair to expect him to at least match his play from the end of the last season when he arrived in Boston. He’ll probably average around 17 minutes of ice time a night and mainly face off against the bottom-six guys, and that will be perfect for him. Someone needs to be in that spot and if it’ll give him the best shot to succeed, he should have that opportunity.
Peeke’s best season points-wise came in 2021-22 when he had 15 points in 82 games. The most goals he’s ever had in a season was six in 2022-23. Last season, he had 10 points, putting him right around Matt Grzelcyk (11) and Parker Wotherspoon (8) from the Bruins’ 2023-24 roster. I think it’s safe to have expectations for him to get more points this season than last, and he can hopefully match his previous career high or surpass it.
Peeke Could Be a Pleasant Surprise
The Bruins have a number of superstars who will draw the vast majority of the attention in 2024-25, but Peeke really has the potential to be a pleasant surprise. Expectations were low upon his arrival, but he played much better in Boston than he did in Columbus. He was a bit of a gamble to see if he’d be able to provide some legitimate depth going into the playoffs, and if it weren’t for his injury, I think it would have shown to have paid off.
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Now with one more year on his contract, he has a real shot to help round out what could be one of the best blue lines in the NHL this season. When he arrived in Boston, Peeke had nowhere really to go but up, and hopefully that upward trajectory can really come to fruition in 2024-25. I think he could be a guy who could turn into an unsung hero for the Bruins and a decent role player.
