Boston Bruins
“I think when I’m in [my] The best thing is that I can score from everywhere.”
JJ Petrka has averaged 26 goals per season over the past three years. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
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Bruins fans are no strangers to watching their team sit on the sidelines during the first round of the NHL Draft.
From 2018 to 2023, the Bruins selected just twice in the first round (2019, 2021) — with Boston giving up several premium pieces of draft capital in hopes of putting a core of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Creasey, Tuukka Rask, and others at the top.
Those years spent forgoing future revenue played a major role in Boston’s inevitable decline in 2024-25, with Boston’s pipeline of young talent interrupted for several years.
Given those ramifications, it should come as no surprise that Boston fans recoiled in fear on Friday when reports first surfaced that the Bruins were parting ways with several first-round picks in order to pry winger JJ Petrka out of Utah State.
It was a sentiment that wasn’t lost on Don Sweeney and Boston’s top brass as well – given the clear need the Bruins have to develop another core of talent behind franchise pillars like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.
But as the Bruins try to bolster this current group and support the next wave, the opportunity to add a 24-year-old like Peterka was too good to pass up.
“It was definitely one of the variables we were taking into consideration, yeah,” Sweeney said of weighing Petrka’s age and skill set against the cost of two No. 1 players. “The length of the contract, the contract, the skill and the quality of the player is ultimately what drives our decision. But it is appropriate, as I said.
“I think he fits in a good group, age-wise… He can ride shotgun with David [Pastrnak]He can come down and lead the line. … It’s an attractive situation for us to add a player in that age group who has had success at the top and has the skill sets we were looking for.
In terms of cost, two first-round picks (Boston 2026 and Florida 2028) represent a high price to pay for any player. But giving up the No. 23 pick to a legitimate top-six weapon like Peterka represents a safer bet for the Bruins than waiting for a first-round pick to poke around and make a push to the NHL in three or four years.
Look no further than the player ultimately selected 23rd overall – Kamloops winger JB Hurlbert. We touted Hurlbert as a player worth targeting for Boston as a winger who scores 25 goals at the right time.
But all things considered, if the Bruins hold the No. 23 pick and select Hurlbert, do you hope he eventually turns into…Peterka?
And after the Panthers added Brady Tkachuk to an already stacked roster last week, the writing was on the wall that Boston should have moved a 2028 first-round pick who would likely be lower down the draft list.
Boston also has some protection in case something catastrophic happens with the Panthers — the Bruins could opt to give Utah their unprotected 2029 first-round pick in the event that Florida’s 2028 pick is a top-10 pick.
Conversely, the Bruins, who desperately need more scoring and speed, have a player in Peterka who should earn a spot in the top six.
Petrka has already been a productive player in the professional ranks, averaging 26.6 goals over the past three seasons with Buffalo and Utah. In his final season with Buffalo in 2024-25, the then-22-year-old winger scored 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games.
Those numbers declined in his first (and only) season with Utah. In 82 games, he scored 25 goals and 47 total points, a 21-point decline from the previous year.
Swinney was quick to pick up on Petrka’s scoring slump that led to Utah’s limited reps on Utah’s power play, though the Bruins’ new winger put the burden on his shoulders.
“I take full responsibility,” Petrka said of his short time in Salt Lake City. “I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing. I think I have a lot to offer. I think my fit for Boston will be great.”
Despite Petrka’s decline in scoring form and his transfer between clubs, a look under the hood at Petrka’s season in Utah shows some promise.
On the face of it, Petrka is already a winger with 25 goals, which is in the top six. But Petrka could have more room to grow in Boston, especially if he gets better reps on the power play and perhaps evens with Pastrnak.
Petrka ranked seventh on Utah’s list last season in ice time per game (1:57), with only five of his 47 points coming on the man advantage.
But in 5-on-5 play, Peterka was one of the most productive NHLers in terms of generating offense, even during his “down year” with the Mammoths.
In total, Petrka averaged 2.09 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes played in the 2025-26 season.which had a higher scoring rate than many notable wingers across the NHL, including:
Morgan Geeky (2.08)
Filip Forsberg (2.03)
Lucas Raymond (1.98)
Kirill Marchenko (1.94)
Seth Jarvis (1.89)
Jordan Kyrou (1.89)
Pavel Dorofeyev (1.76)
That’s not to say Petrka is a more complete player than another star winger like Jarvis. But it’s often a good indicator of impact forward if he does a lot of damage in 5v5 action – especially if a fresh start elsewhere opens the door to an uptick in power play production.
An extended run next to Pastrnak could open the door for Petrka to take another step forward as a legitimate 30-goal, 70-point player in the foreseeable future.
“I think when I’m in [my] “The best thing is that I can score – basically from everywhere,” Petrka said. “Making a lot of plays and, yeah, controlling the game. I think that’s the only thing I can offer when I’m playing at the highest level, for sure.”
The way Petrka creates offense should also be a welcome sight for a Bruins team that was completely outplayed by Buffalo during their six-game playoff series this spring.
It should come as no surprise that Petrka arrived on Boston’s radar more than a month after Cam Neely declared the Bruins needed more “speed” and “talent” in their lineup.
per NHL EDGE Tracking DataPetrka ranked in the 97th percentile of NHLers last season in terms of speed between 20-22 mph. He also had nine skating bursts over 22 mph, which ranked in the 87th percentile across the league.
Whether it’s taking advantage of rushing opportunities, creating clean zone ins and outs with the puck on his stick, or simply using his wheels to put skaters under duress on the forecheck, a player with Petrka’s skill set should be a welcome addition to Boston’s current lineup.
“We’ve acknowledged that we’re a competitive group, and our guys did a really good job last year,” Sweeney said. “But we’re trying to dig deeper and add speed.” “Marco talked about the pre-monitoring side of things, and adding speed is an element we felt we needed to continue to address internally with some of the younger players and externally, if we can get to know them.”
Peterka is not the final piece that puts the Bruins ahead. But he checks a lot of boxes as a top-six regular — at 24 years old — and still has plenty of room to grow through Boston’s retooling of the roster.
He may not have Jason Robertson as a franchise winger, but adding a potential 30 regular target to the Bruins club without giving up their top prospects or valuable assets (Toronto 2028 first, Boston 2027/28 first) represents a good amount of business for Sweeney and Co.
The Bruins have a lot of work to do this summer. But bringing in a player like Petrka is a strong start to what should be a busy week for Boston.
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