Boston Bruins Acquire 2026 Fourth-Round Pick in Trade with Anaheim Ducks
The Boston Bruins have bolstered their already impressive haul of picks for the 2026 NHL Draft by acquiring a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The trade comes as part of an effort to further stock up on draft picks, and it will give Boston nine selections in the upcoming draft.
As part of this deal, the Bruins sent forward Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim. Viel, who was a training camp cut for the Bruins but made the jump into their active roster, has been playing a key role on the team's fourth line alongside players like Ross Johnston. His addition will give Boston an extra layer of depth up front.
However, with the emergence of other forward prospects such as Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves, Viel became expendable for the Bruins' coaching staff. He will likely see more playing time in Anaheim this season, where he will be paired with Johnston on a fourth line that is expected to be a thorn in the side of opponents.
The Bruins also made another move to bolster their blue line on Friday. In an emergency call-up, defenseman Billy Sweezey joined the team for a pair of games against Chicago and Dallas before a quick two-game road trip resumes.
While the news may come as little surprise to fans of the Bruins, it is clear that Boston's management is prioritizing draft picks in preparation for the 2026 NHL Draft. The addition of this extra pick brings their total number of selections up to nine: two first-round picks, one second-round pick, one third-round pick, three fourth-round picks, and two seventh-round picks.
With this latest move, the Bruins are now well-positioned to make a deep run in the playoffs and secure high draft picks if they fall short. For now, however, their focus is on getting ready for another stretch of tough road games against Chicago and Dallas before facing off against Seattle later this week.
The Boston Bruins have bolstered their already impressive haul of picks for the 2026 NHL Draft by acquiring a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The trade comes as part of an effort to further stock up on draft picks, and it will give Boston nine selections in the upcoming draft.
As part of this deal, the Bruins sent forward Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim. Viel, who was a training camp cut for the Bruins but made the jump into their active roster, has been playing a key role on the team's fourth line alongside players like Ross Johnston. His addition will give Boston an extra layer of depth up front.
However, with the emergence of other forward prospects such as Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves, Viel became expendable for the Bruins' coaching staff. He will likely see more playing time in Anaheim this season, where he will be paired with Johnston on a fourth line that is expected to be a thorn in the side of opponents.
The Bruins also made another move to bolster their blue line on Friday. In an emergency call-up, defenseman Billy Sweezey joined the team for a pair of games against Chicago and Dallas before a quick two-game road trip resumes.
While the news may come as little surprise to fans of the Bruins, it is clear that Boston's management is prioritizing draft picks in preparation for the 2026 NHL Draft. The addition of this extra pick brings their total number of selections up to nine: two first-round picks, one second-round pick, one third-round pick, three fourth-round picks, and two seventh-round picks.
With this latest move, the Bruins are now well-positioned to make a deep run in the playoffs and secure high draft picks if they fall short. For now, however, their focus is on getting ready for another stretch of tough road games against Chicago and Dallas before facing off against Seattle later this week.
[Image of a person in a suit holding a giant pick](https://i.imgur.com/6yZvT4e.jpg) 
9 picks = 9 chances to get it right! 
Boston's got game... and extra draft picks 
. Nine picks? That's a lot, but it also means more pressure on them to perform in the playoffs. And what's up with the constant call-ups and send-bys? It feels like Billy Sweezey is just getting tossed around like a pawn in their GM's game of "draft pick roulette" 
. I mean, I get that they want to build for the future, but can't we just have some stability for once?
... dont get me wrong, drafting high is always awesome, but can u imagine if they end up getting all those picks and still lose in the first round? 
... or on the other hand, maybe this is the push they needed to make some noise in the playoffs 
... hard to say rn 
I mean, he was playing well on the fourth line and it's not like they need to give up a whole lot for this pick. And what about Billy Sweezey's emergency call-up? Wasn't that just to fill a gap or something? 
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how all these moves pan out...
️! I gotta say, it's pretty smart of the Bruins to prioritize draft picks 
. And with their blue line looking solid with Billy Sweezey joining the crew, they've got a good chance of making a deep playoff run 
️. But what's up with Jeffrey Viel getting shipped out? He seemed like he had a role on that fourth line 
. Tho, idk wut happened 2 Jeffrey Viel... one day hes on teh team n the next hes gettin sent out... its kinda harsh but hey, at least he'll b makin more $$$ in Anaheim 
. And btw, Marat Khusnutdinov & Alex Steeves r gonna be big factors 4 this team 
Like Boston thinks they're just gonna swoop in and grab all the good picks without anyone even noticing 
. And what's up with Anaheim, always trading away their decent players for some future pick? 
. Billy Sweezey's the real MVP here, finally getting some playing time after a quick call-up 
. The Bruins are clearly doing whatever it takes to get ahead for the 2026 draft, no question about it 
. They're basically just buying their way to the top 
.
, now they're gonna crush it in playoffs and get some sweet picks. sending Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim is a good move tho, he's not a top prospect anymore but can help on the 4th line. Billy Sweezey joining team is like a breath of fresh air lol, emergency call-up is always interesting 
what's the coach's game plan? 
9 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft is some serious ammo for the front office to work with 
might be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it...
. Nine draft picks in the 2026 NHL Draft? That's insane! 
. It'll be interesting to see how Boston's roster shakeups play out over the season and how they balance short-term needs with long-term draft pick strategy 
. The playoffs can't come soon enough! 
. On the other hand, their blue line situation looks way more stable now that Sweezey's back in the mix 
. And nine draft picks? That's some serious depth they're building up for 2026 
just got word about that trade with Anaheim Ducks 
and I gotta say, Boston's got some great young players comin' up through the ranks like Khusnutdinov & Steeves! 
Viel's not gettin' much ice time right now, but I'm sure he'll do alright in Anaheim. The real winners here are Bruins fans who get to see more draft picks come their way 
. 9 picks is insane for the 2026 draft alone! 
and saw these adorable pigs that made me think about how much I love their little snouts, you know? Like, it's so peaceful watching them roll around in the mud... anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah, the Bruins! 
Who's gonna be picked first at the 2026 draft, do you think? Should we make some predictions?
anyway i guess its all good cuz its not like dey r losin anythin 
de 4th round pick is def worth it considering how deep deir prospect pool is