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Bruins Trade Tough Guy & Call Up Defender
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- Bruins Trade Tough Guy & Call Up Defender
The Boston Bruins have announced that they have traded forward Jeffrey Viel to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Bruins also shared that they will be receiving the earlier of the Ducks' two fourth-round picks from this year for Viel.
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Viel had become the odd man out on the Bruins' roster, so a change of scenery could do him some good. The 28-year-old forward last played during the Bruins' Dec. 20 contest against the Vancouver Canucks. His previous appearance before that was on Nov. 29 against the Detroit Red Wings, so he certainly was not getting many chances with Boston as the season rolled on.
In 10 games for the Bruins this season before being traded to the Ducks, Viel recorded zero points, 27 hits, and 30 penalty minutes. This was after he played in five games for Boston back in 2024-25, where he had zero points, 12 hits, and 14 penalty minutes.
Viel spent most of the 2024-25 season down in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. In 68 games for Providence this past campaign, he posted 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points, 148 penalty minutes, and a plus-14 rating.
Following trading Viel, the Bruins announced that they have recalled defenseman Billy Sweezey from Providence. This comes after Andrew Peeke left the Bruins' most recent matchup against the Seattle Kraken early due to injury.
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Sweezey has appeared in 34 games this season with Providence, where he has posted one goal, 11 points, 33 penalty minutes, and a plus-22 rating. This is after he had one goal, 10 points, and 67 points in 64 games for Providence in 2024-25.
Sweezey has yet to make his Boston debut since joining the organization during the 2024 NHL off-season, but that now has the chance to change with this call-up. The 6-foot-1 right-shot defenseman last played at the NHL level during the 2022-23 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he recorded one assist, 20 blocks, and 39 hits in nine games.
