After a successful 2025-26 season that saw them get back into the playoffs, the Boston Bruins have responded by having an active offseason. The Bruins have added a handful of new players to their group, as they have brought in JJ Peterka, Will Borgen, Connor Clifton, and Ivan Ivan.
While the Bruins have made some moves this offseason, it is fair to wonder if they could consider bringing in another player before the start of the season. Due to this, they are now being viewed as a potential fit for one of the NHL’s top remaining free agents.
In a recent article for The Big Lead, Vin Santoro predicted that the Bruins will end up signing free agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
“Vladimir Tarasenko is known for his elite wrist shot and offensive ability, but no teams are interested in signing him,” Santoro wrote. “My prediction is that he signs with the Boston Bruins to help out their top six and help Boston score goals alongside David Pastrnak.”
The Bruins bringing in Tarasenko would be interesting. He would have the potential to provide them with more scoring and would also give them another veteran winger to work with.
Looking at Vladimir Tarasenko’s 2025-26 Season
After an ugly 2024-25 season with the Detroit Red Wings that saw him post 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games, Tarasenko had a solid bounce-back year with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26. In 75 games last season for Minnesota, he posted 23 goals, 24 assists, and 47 points. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to give Boston’s forward group a nice boost if signed.
While the Bruins made a good move trading for Peterka, one could argue they could still use a player like Tarasenko after losing Viktor Arvidsson to the Red Wings in free agency. With Tarasenko being the top free agent winger still available for the taking, it could make sense for the Bruins to add him on an affordable short-term deal. Adding a forward who scored 23 goals last season and has scored 30 goals six times could benefit Boston.
Why the Bruins Could Pass on Signing Tarasenko
Although Tarasenko could be an interesting addition to the Bruins’ roster, it would also be understandable if they avoided signing him. They already have a lot of NHL-caliber forwards, and signing Tarasenko would create another obstacle for their younger players to make the team out of training camp.
Furthermore, with Tarasenko being 34 years old, he may not be the best fit on a Bruins club that is in the middle of a retool and is focused on the future. This is especially so when noting that he could take a step back this upcoming season.
The Bruins do have over $5 million of cap space, so they could afford to sign Tarasenko. Yet, it would also be understandable if they end up choosing to enter the season with that cap space. If they do, it would open the door for them to make a more meaningful addition through trading later in the season.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see where Tarasenko ends up landing. The Bruins are an interesting potential landing spot, but it would also make sense if they looked elsewhere for talent.
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