The Boston Bruins have undergone significant changes to their forward lines, trading away key players like Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand and adding Casey Mittelstadt. As a result, the Bruins will be relying on new faces to step up in the 2025-26 season. Among these new additions, Viktor Arvidsson and Matej Blumel could potentially make a big impact.
Viktor Arvidsson was acquired by the Bruins in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. The Bruins sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Oilers in exchange for Arvidsson. Arvidsson, 32, is a veteran player who, when healthy, has the potential to score 60 points. In the 2024-25 season with the Oilers, Arvidsson recorded 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 67 games. He also contributed two goals and five assists for seven points in 15 playoff games. Throughout his NHL career, Arvidsson has played in 613 games with the Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and Nashville Predators, accumulating 194 goals and 195 assists for 389 points.
Arvidsson will likely play on the Bruins' second line as a winger, potentially alongside Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha. If Arvidsson can maintain his health and develop good chemistry with his linemates, it is reasonable to expect him to score over 50 points. The acquisition of Arvidsson is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bruins, as he has one year remaining on his contract with a $4 million cap hit. He is expected to be a valuable addition to the middle-six forwards, providing secondary scoring and top-six potential.
Matej Blumel signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Bruins on July 1, 2025. The contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season and carries a cap hit of $875,000. Blumel, a 25-year-old forward from the Czech Republic, has demonstrated great potential in the American Hockey League (AHL). In 67 games with the Texas Stars in 2024-25, he scored 39 goals and recorded 72 points. In the 2023-24 season, he had 31 goals, 31 assists, and 62 points in 72 games. Blumel has only played 13 NHL games, scoring two goals. The Bruins could give Blumel an opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level in the 2025-26 season.
With the Bruins needing more scoring on the wing, taking a chance on a young forward who has dominated the AHL like Blumel makes sense. Blumel has thrived in the AHL but had trouble cementing himself as a full-time player with a stacked Dallas Stars. Now that he has joined the Bruins, the possibility of him getting more opportunities is there, and he could break out because of it.
The Bruins have a mix of proven NHL players and intriguing young players. Arvidsson should get top-six minutes, while players like Sean Kuraly, Michael Eyssimont, and Tanner Jeannot should boost their bottom six. Alex Steeves and Blumel could make a push for NHL spots because of their success in the AHL over the last few years.
