J.J. Peterka Trade Details: Bruins Acquire Mammoth Star For Multiple First-Round Picks originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In an NHL offseason full of trades, the Boston Bruins joined the party with a massive move of their own.
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On night one of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, the Bruins pulled off a trade to acquire Utah Mammoth star winger J.J. Peterka, reportedly sending a package of multiple first-round draft picks back to Utah.
Peterka, the 24-year-old winger who made a name for himself as a Buffalo Sabre, was traded to Utah in the 2025 offseason and now finds a new home in Boston for a team that returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026. He adds to a Bruins core looking to compete not only next season, but for years to come.
Here are the complete trade details and how Peterka can affect the Bruins’ lineup.
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Bruins acquire: J.J Peterka
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Mammoth acquire: 2026 first-round pick, Florida Panthers 2028 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
On Friday evening, the Boston Bruins joined a chaotic offseason trade market by landing 24-year-old winger Peterka from the Mammoth. To acquire the dynamic forward, Boston shipped a massive package of draft capital back to Utah, including the No. 23 overall selection in Friday’s draft and a top-10 protected 2028 first-rounder originally belonging to the Florida Panthers.
Peterka is coming off a steady 25-goal campaign in his lone season with the Mammoth, and his arrival gives the Bruins’ top-six forward group a major injection of young offensive upside.
After falling in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins were looking for a game-changer to elevate the team going into year two of the Marco Sturm era. Don Sweeney and co. just got that with Peterka, the 24-year-old winger who has emerged as one of the league’s top ascending players.
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In his final season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, Peterka had 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) before he was traded to the Mammoth for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. In Utah, he had an underwhelming season but still had 25 goals and 22 assists, and has now scored at least 25 in three straight seasons.
Peterka immediately slots into a Bruins top six with David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Casey Mittelstadt. His addition gives Boston a versatile, lethal scoring punch that can be deployed across multiple combinations. Whether he lines up alongside a playmaker like Mittelstadt to recreate some of their old Buffalo chemistry, or drives play on a separate unit to spread out the team’s even-strength offense, Peterka offers exactly the kind of dynamic speed and transition ability the Bruins lacked during their brief postseason run.
For Sturm, having a fellow countryman and elite young talent like Peterka at his disposal could be the exact catalyst needed to push the Bruins back into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
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Years: 5
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Annual Value: $38.5 million
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Peterka is on a contract that runs until the end of the 2029-30 season, signing this extension with the Mammoth immediately after being traded there from Buffalo.
The contract runs through the 2029-30 season, meaning the Boston Bruins take on the remaining four years of the deal. He will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) upon its expiry in the summer of 2030.
Peterka continues to ascend in his young NHL career, and while he didn’t have the most productive year in Utah, he now joins fellow countryman Marco Sturm.
|
Season |
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
+/- |
PIM |
|
2021-22 |
Buffalo Sabres |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2022-23 |
Buffalo Sabres |
77 |
12 |
20 |
32 |
-15 |
26 |
|
2023-24 |
Buffalo Sabres |
82 |
28 |
22 |
50 |
+10 |
28 |
|
2024-25 |
Buffalo Sabres |
77 |
27 |
41 |
68 |
-1 |
34 |
|
2025-26 |
Utah Mammoth |
82 |
25 |
22 |
47 |
+6 |
28 |
|
Career |
320 |
92 |
105 |
197 |
0 |
116 |
