The Boston Bruins made two trades on Friday at Warrior Ice Arena.
Don Sweeney said he would be taking a cautious approach at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Sweeney said that is exactly what he did on Friday for his Bruins squad that sits in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I think the group deserves the opportunity to continue to forge forward…It wasn’t just about collecting any asset and to take away from the fabric of our group,” Sweeney said.
“We had charted a course last year that we knew this wasn’t going to be one and done. Our intentions were to get back to where we are and be the most competitive group we can. The guys have done a great job, the coaching staff. We’re still excited about that. I think our odds are if we play the right way we’re supposed to play, that we were before the break, that we’re going to be a tough out and get in [to the playoffs]. That’s the challenge to the group.”
Bruins Acquire Lukas Reichel
The Bruins acquired Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
The 23-year-old forward was a first-round pick (17th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020, and was traded to Vancouver in October, 2025.
Reichel has appeared in 19 NHL games this season between Chicago and Vancouver, during which he has had two goals and three assists. He also played 23 games in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks, posting 13 points (six goals, seven assists). Reichel is from Nuremberg, Germany, and has skated for his country’s national team throughout the ranks of his hockey career.
“He’s spent a lot of time in the league, he’s had some success. Obviously, a high-profile draft. Great speed, two-position player. Got moved to Vancouver for a different opportunity, didn’t necessarily work the way he wanted it to. Familiarity with our coach,” Sweeney said. “We look at it and say it’s an area where we can improve our hockey club, playing with a little more speed.”
Gendron and Rizzo Join the Bruins
The Bruins also acquired forwards Alexis Gendron and Massimo Rizzo from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Brett Harrison and defenseman Jackson Edward.
Gendron was originally a seventh-round pick of the Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft. The 22-year-old has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) through 47 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL this season. Gendron, who is 5-foot-11, 189 pounds, has logged a total 127 career AHL games, all with the Phantom.
Rizzo has played in 29 games for the Reading Royals (ECHL) this season; he had 46 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during the 2024-25 season. The 24-year-old forward has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) with the Royals this year. Rizzo was a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019 and was traded to Philadelphia in 2023. He played three seasons of NCAA Hockey at the University of Denver (2021-24), during which the team won t
Sweeney speaks with media at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday.