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Bruins acquire 2026 fourth-round pick in trade with Ducks
The Bruins now have nine picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Boston Bruins further stocked up their already impressive haul of picks for the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday.
Boston announced that it traded forward Jeffrey Viel to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The selection will be the earlier of the Ducks’ two fourth-round picks this season.
With this deal, Boston now holds nine picks in the 2026 NHL Draft: two 1st-round picks, one 2nd-round pick, one 3rd-round pick, three 4th-round picks, one 6th-round pick and one 7th-round pick.
Viel, 28, made the cut for Boston out of training camp after spending a majority of his pro career in the AHL.
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The hard-nosed, physical forward was viewed as a solid depth option for a Bruins team looking to add some snarl in Marco Sturm’s first year as head coach. He appeared in 10 of Boston’s 48 games so far this season, posting zero goals and zero assists while recording 30 penalty minutes and 27 hits.
The Bruins have had no shortage of bottom-six options up front this season — be it Mark Kastelic, Sean Kuraly, Tanner Jeannot, Mikey Eyssimont, and Fraser Minten.
Depth players who have stepped up into greater roles like Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves further made Viel expendable on this roster.
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Viel should be afforded more regular reps in Anaheim, where he figures to be thorn in the side of opponents on a fourth line with players like Ross Johnston.
The Bruins also bolstered their blue line on Friday before taking off for a quick two-game road trip against Chicago and Dallas.
Boston called up defenseman Billy Sweezey on an emergency basis Friday, with the 29-year-old blueliner standing as added insurance for the Bruins after Andrew Peeke left Thursday’s win over Seattle with a lower-body injury.
Speaking after Thursday’s win, Bruins head coach said Peeke will travel with Boston on this current road trip.
“As of right now, I don’t think it’s going to be long-term,” Sturm said of Peeke’s prognosis.
Sweezey, a Hanson, Massachusetts, native, has appeared in nine games in the NHL — all with Columbus in 2022-23. He has spent the last two seasons with the Providence Bruins, recording 11 points in 34 games this season.
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