The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. It’s incredibly early to start thinking about the ultimate winners and losers of trades, but we can start to prognosticate based on an initial look at some of them.
The trade of Andrew Peeke perfectly linked a seller and a buyer. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been a seller since their run to their first playoff series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. The Boston Bruins have been in playoff contention for a long time as they continue to ride a seven-season long playoff streak. The trade was as follows:
| Boston Bruins Receive | Columbus Blue Jackets Receive |
| – Andrew Peeke ($2.75 million through 2025-26) | – Jakub Zboril ($1.1 million through 2023-24) – 2027 3rd Round Draft Pick |
It was a deadline day deal that gained criticism from some pundits because Peeke had fallen out of favor with the Blue Jackets’ coaching staff this season and has term left on his contract. However, this move has the potential to be a true win-win for each side. Let’s explore.
Bruins Get a Defender That Fits Their Modus Operandi
Let’s start with the main player in this trade: Andrew Peeke. On paper, it’s hard to understand why the Bruins would be interested in him. The 25-year-old defender had only dressed in 23 of the Blue Jackets’ first 63 games – missing all 40 of those games as a healthy scratch. To put it bluntly and a little unfairly, he wasn’t good enough to play on one of the worst defense corps in the league.
While that was the case, you’ve got to inspect a little deeper. The Blue Jackets have a rare problem of possessing too many right-shot NHL-caliber defenders. Ahead of Peeke on the depth chart were Damon Severson and Erik Gudbranson – who make way too much money to justify being scratched on a regular basis. So that left one spot on the right side for Peeke to compete against the flashy youngster Adam Boqvist, and long-term top-four piece David Jiricek. He simply became the odd man out.
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That hadn’t always been the case. In the previous two seasons, Peeke was the man who dressed in the most games for the Blue Jackets, playing in 162 of 164 games. Over that time he averaged over 21 minutes of play per night, and often spent time on the team’s top pairing. He grew into his 6-foot-3 frame and worked to become a physical presence with 371 and 366 blocked shots over that time.
He’s quoted saying he is ‘pumped’ for the new opportunity, as he should be. Going from a bottom-five team to a Stanley Cup contender will be quite the change in pace for the former second-round pick. It will be interesting to see how he fares in a system far more structurally sound than that of the Blue Jackets.
In short, he’s got what it takes to be a defensive specialist that hits hard and blocks a lot of rubber. That, plus his work ethic and strong character make him a fit for the way the Bruins operate. Expectations should be tempered, but he should be a great number-five or six defender for them over the course of his contract.
Blue Jackets Gain Roster Space, Cap Flexibility & Pick
The Blue Jackets get a lot in this trade, and it starts with roster space. This is a team that has been jammed along the right side of their defense, starving many of their young players of opportunity – frustrating some. Now they have one less person to worry about and a bit of breathing room, although that problem is far from solved.
They also get some salary cap flexibility, which is going to be a massive asset this offseason. I’ve written that the team will be starting to look ahead to the summer with an abundance of their future core needing new contracts. On that list are Kirill Marchenko, Yegor Chinakhov, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Alexandre Texier. Clearing $2.75 million off of their books for the next two seasons is going to be key in re-signing some of those names to longer-term contracts, instead of just bridge deals.
While just removing Peeke from the situation has its benefits, the actual return in the trade could be of use. Jakub Zboril was a former 13th overall draft pick. While he’s a far cry from the top-four defender he was once projected to be, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the 27-year-old don a Blue Jackets jersey for a game or two down the stretch. We’ve seen the team milk some success out of a former first-round talent once this season, we could see lightning in a bottle again. Even if not, Zboril is on an expiring contract and will be off the books on July 1. It also never hurts to have another third-round pick to add to their arsenal, this one will be in the 2027 NHL Draft.
If Peeke lives up to some of the potential he exhibited, the Bruins will be getting a solid defender for their next three playoff runs. The Blue Jackets were able to clear some of the runway for their younger players coming up on the right side of their blue line and clear almost $3 million of cap space. This trade has the potential to be a rare win-win for both of these teams.