Bruins rumors: 2 players Boston is trying to re-sign ahead of NHL Free Agency

The Boston Bruins have just two players on the roster who are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 — and general manager Don Sweeney is hoping neither veteran makes it to the open market in a couple of weeks.

Sweeney and the front office are engaged in contract discussions with forward Viktor Arvidsson and defenseman Andrew Peeke, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported earlier this week.

“Pending unrestricted free agent forward Viktor Arvidsson and defenceman Andrew Peeke are eligible to hit the open market in 12 days unless they agree to new contracts with Boston,” the hockey insider wrote.

“The Bruins are having ongoing discussions with the camps for both players about extensions.”

Arvidsson appears to be the higher priority of the two after he put together a terrific 2025-26 season. Following injury-plagued tenures with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, the veteran winger enjoyed a bounce-back campaign in Beantown, recording 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games while finishing with a plus-20 rating.

The 33-year-old quickly became a valuable part of the Bruins’ top six, providing secondary scoring and veteran leadership for a club that exceeded expectations and advanced to the postseason after a rare miss in 2024-25.

“It’s unclear as to the type of contract he is looking for, but his performance certainly justifies Boston’s desire to hold on to him,” wrote Pagnotta.

Peeke represents a different type of decision for Boston.

The veteran defenseman posted five goals and 14 points in 77 games while serving as a dependable depth option on the blue line. Although his offensive numbers were underwhelming, the 28-year-old provided stability and logged regular minutes throughout the campaign.

Peeke played last year on a contract carrying a $2.75 million cap hit and could be looking for a similar deal on the open market.

Boston currently projects to have roughly $15 million in salary-cap space available for next season, giving the front office some flexibility as it works through its offseason priorities.

That cap situation could make re-signing Arvidsson easier, although the Bruins have not closed the door on bringing back Peeke as well.

With free agency rapidly approaching, it remains to be seen whether either player will agree to a new contract before reaching the open market. But for now, Boston appears committed to exploring every avenue to keep both veterans in black and gold.

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