Could a retooling Bruins team be buyers this season? It’s complicated.

But, for all of the positive impact that a player like Andersson would generate with Boston, the Bruins were also wise not to cough up assets for a pure rental — as is the case with Andersson with his new team (at least for now).

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins were firmly in the mix for Andersson — with Boston reportedly given the opportunity to talk extension with the then-Flames defenseman to try and bridge the gap on a deal and complete a trade.

When Andersson — either fixated on the bright lights of Vegas or unsatisfied with Boston’s contract offer — balked at the terms, the Bruins made the right call to to cut bait.

The 2025-26 Bruins, by all accounts, have exceeded expectations. 

Amid their roller-coaster run of sustained slides and encouraging turnarounds, the Bruins currently sit in a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 28-19-2. 

After Boston’s win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night, they’ve now won eight of their last nine games. 

The roster, as currently constituted, isn’t perfect. But, after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, a retooling franchise does seem to be well ahead of schedule — with the encouraging returns put forth on the ice further bolstered by Boston’s prospect pool getting much deeper.

Still, that doesn’t mean that Don Sweeney and Co. are in the business of giving up draft picks (four first-rounders in the next two years), young NHLers (Fraser Minten, Mason Lohrei), or prospects in the system (Zellers, Letourneau, etc.) to acquire short-term band-aids that could give this imperfect roster a lift this spring and offer little in 2026-27 and beyond.

But the Bruins’ interest in Andersson — an asset for both 2025-26 and ideally the next five-plus years — signals that Sweeney is leaving no stone unturned in hopes of accelerating this team’s upwards trajectory.

The Bruins may not be in the market for rentals like other legitimate contenders. 

But, if the right player were to be up for grabs — especially a younger forward already inked to a long-term deal — the high price set might be one that Sweeney could be willing to meet. 

Sweeney and his staff shouldn’t waste their time perusing through pending free agents like Artemi Panarin, older veterans like 34-year-old Blake Coleman, or useful cogs who don’t necessarily shore up pressing vacancies like third-pairing defenseman Luke Schenn or even new Flames skater Whitecloud.

But what if the St. Louis Blues — staring at an inevitable rebuild — put 26-year-old center Robert Thomas on the market? The asking price would be far steeper than what Andersson cost, but Thomas is an elite playmaker (two 80-plus-point seasons) signed through 2030-31 at a $8.125 million cap hit.

A cellar-dwelling Canucks team might be trying to find a taker to offload Elias Pettersson’s contract — with the 27-year-old pivot signed through 2032 at a hefty $11.6 million annual cap hit. The skilled forward’s play has stagnated as of late (74 points in last 104 games) as Vancouver has tumbled to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. 

But, Pettersson is still just a few years removed from scoring 102 points in 80 games as a 24-year-old center in 2022-23, and has all the talent to hit triple-digits once again if afforded a change in scenery.

There’s plenty of risk for any team taking on a depressed asset like Pettersson, especially when factoring in that contract. But, teams like the Washington Capitals (Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun) and Philadelphia Flyers (Trevor Zegras) can attest to the rewards that can be unearthed when rolling the dice on struggling talents still in their mid-20s.

It remains to be seen if the Bruins have the willingness to stomach the high costs (both in assets and cap commitment) to pursue those types of deals. But if the Bruins are looking to add before the trade deadline on March 6, those are the types of targets that Boston should identify. 

Sweeney could also embrace a fluid approach to the deadline — focusing on big-fish targets if the opportunity presents itself while still selling off pieces that may not fit into the team’s long-term plans. 

A pending free-agent defenseman like Andrew Peeke could realistically fetch a second-round pick in this sellers’ market, especially fresh off of Boston snagging a fourth-round pick from the Ducks for Jeffrey Viel last week. 

There’s a lot to like about the current play of Boston’s second line of Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt, and Pavel Zacha. Boston could be tempted to keep that line intact if the wins keep piling up, considering the team has outscored opponents, 21-8, when that trio has been out on the ice at 5-on-5 play. 

But, a fleet-footed veteran winger set to hit free agency in Arvidsson could also land Boston another second-round pick, with Mittelstadt (signed through 2026-27) offering a greater return if the Bruins were to move him. 

Zacha could conceivably land Boston an impressive return — such as a first-round pick and a blue-chip prospect or young NHLer. But, again, there’s plenty of temptation that comes with keeping a 28-year-old player like Zacha in Boston long-term, especially if Boston is closer to being a playoff team that most expected. 

Because of the upcoming Olympic break, Sweeney and the Bruins only have 12 games left on their docket before the trade deadline arrives. 

The clock is ticking as to which path the Bruins take.

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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