Bruins, Ducks swing minor trade

The Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks completed a minor trade Friday when the Bruins sent forward Jeffrey Viel to the Ducks for a 2026 fourth-round draft choice.

Viel has been a spare part for the Bruins during the last two seasons. He played 5 games in 2024-25 and 10 games this year, but he has not gotten on to the scoreboard with a goal or an assist. The 6-1, 215-pound winger has shown the ability to handle himself in a physical confrontation. He is not afraid to fight and he did have 30 penalty minutes to this point in the season.

Viel played parts of his first 3 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He played in 11 games as a rookie and did not earn a scoring point, but he did play 34 games in 2021-22 and scored 3 goals and 2 assists. He did not get on the scoreboard the following year when he played in just 4 games for the Sharks.

The Bruins have recently been on a hot streak with 5 wins in a row and 7 victories in their last 8 games. They were able to accomplish this without Viel in the lineup. He has not played since the Bruins dropped a 5-4 game December 20 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout.

Viel demonstrated he could play a physical game when he was in the lineup, and he is likely to get an opportunity with the Ducks. The Bruins have Nikita Zadorov, Mark Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot who can all handle the physical battles and take care of  themselves in confrontations with opponents. Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy also plays a physical game and will deliver hard body checks, but he is less likely to engage opponents in a fight.