The Boston Bruins have made their first trade of the season, sending winger Jeffrey Viel to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The pick will be the earlier of Anaheim’s two fourth-round selections, originally acquired from Detroit and Philadelphia.
The move is mildly surprising, not because the Bruins decided to trade Viel, but because they got a fourth-round pick back.
Viel, 28, has appeared in just one game since the start of December. On the season, he played in 10 games, averaging 9:30 time on ice and not recording a point.
With the Bruins already having 13 other forwards healthy at the moment, Viel had basically been relegated to an unused 14th forward.
Viel would have needed to clear waivers to be sent to Providence, and likely would have been claimed. Teams would value his toughness and willingness to drop the gloves, which is why the Bruins were able to get a mid-round pick for him.
The Bruins now have seven picks in the first four rounds of the 2026 draft, including three in the fourth round. They could potentially use that surplus to move up, flip for future picks, or add to the team before the March 6 trade deadline.
The Bruins on Friday also called up right-handed defenseman Billy Sweezey on an emergency basis. He would be insurance for Andrew Peeke, who left Thursday night's 4-2 win over Seattle in the first period with a lower-body injury. Boston coach Marco Sturm was optimistic after the game that Peeke's injury wasn't too serious.