The season for the Boston Bruins came to a close in disappointing fashion against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres earlier this spring, but general manager Don Sweeney has already begun the process of trying to not only keep his club in contention in the heavily-competitive Eastern Conference but to move further into the postseason next spring.
Not only has he acquired former Sabres forward J.J. Peterka in a deal with the Utah Mammoth, but he’s also landed intriguing forward Ivan Ivan from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for former first round draft selection Fabian Lysell, who never really got a chance in the NHL.
But now, the Bruins are being listed as a potential landing spot for a high-profile defenseman who recently captured his first Norris Trophy as the top player in the NHL at his position.
The Boston Bruins Have Been Named A Potential Landing Spot For Blue Jackets Defenseman Zach Werenski
The Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Bruins defeated in the Eastern Conference Semifinal in 2019, have only qualified for the postseason six times since entering the NHL as an expansion club in 2000-01.
And now, defenseman Zach Werenski, who was named the Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman this most recent season, has reportedly informed the club that he won’t be re-signing with them upon the completion of his current contract, which has two seasons remaining.
The Bruins have recently been named as a potential landing spot for Werenski, who will have absolutely no shortage of clubs lining up for his services.
Shayna Goldman and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic listed Boston among the multiple potentials for Werenski:
“Boston already has an elite core of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman,” they wrote. “But imagine how much stronger that would be with Werenski in the fold: A true quarterback of a defenseman with vision, puck-moving play and power-play skills. Imagine what the Bruins’ top four would be with Werenski and McAvoy opposite each other to spread the wealth.”
“With the JJ Peterka deal Friday night, Boston finally got its offseason rolling. But if this team is serious about contending again in the near future, management has to be aggressive and creative this summer.”
They concluded by saying that while the Bruins would surely have interest in Werenski, they may not have the assets needed to facilitate a deal.
“The problem is that the Bruins’ asset pool isn’t very deep,” they wrote. “This team generally has no issue wheeling and dealing its picks and prospects for NHL-caliber talent, but that isn’t what Columbus is looking for, so Boston may not have enough needle movers to swing a trade of this magnitude. Instead, the Bruins just have a series of pieces: Pavel Zacha, Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten and so on. That probably isn’t enough.”
Zach Werenski Won The Norris Trophy For 2025-26
Werenski, who was taken by the Blue Jackets in the first round (eighth overall pick) of the 2015 NHL Draft, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman for 2025-26.
In 75 games, he scored 22 goals while adding 59 assists, while also helping Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
Bruins Named Potential Landing Spot For $57.5 Million Star