BOSTON — Just hours after arriving in his new home city, new Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke looked like a man who’d just been paroled.
On Thursday he’d been a part-time player on the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Now Peeke on a team competing for the best record in the NHL after the Bruins sent a third-round pick and Jakub Zboril to Columbus to get him.
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“I’m pumped. Especially coming into an organization like this. I’ve only heard good things all the way to the top. That’s what’s most exciting for me,” he said before Boston’s 5-1 win over the Penguins. Hitting a little reset here obviously. Yesterday was pretty crazy and a whirlwind of a day. But I couldn’t be more excited coming to a team like the Bruins. Original Six, it’s just special.
After being a fixture in the Blue Jackets lineup for 2021-22 and 2022-23 playing over 21 minutes per game, the 6-foot-3, 214-pound physical defenseman been in and out of the lineup this year.
“There were some tough days. A lot of adversity. Being where I am now you can only look back at it and make a positive out of it, helping you grow as a person and a hockey player,” said Peeke, who struggled down the stretch last year. “For me it’s helping me understand what I have to do on a nightly basis,” he said. “I think with how the year had gone. I just wanted to play hockey. Obviously, the past two years I played just about every game.”
Peake, who turns 26 on St. Patrick’s Day was eager to take advantage of his fresh start.
“With how the year went, I just want to play hockey,” said Peeke, who said former Bruin Sean Kuraly gave him good reviews about what it’s like to play in Boston. “Coming to a place like Boston and getting a chance to compete for the playoffs, that’s all you can ask for as a player and something I haven’t had yet. I’m super excited for that.”
He’s not guaranteed ice time in Boston either. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo are locked into the top two right-defenseman spots. He’ll compete with Kevin Shattenkirk for the other, while likely competing for a larger role next year.
Jim Montgomery said Peeke might not play until after he’s had a chance to practice with team on Tuesday which would mean he wouldn’t be in the lineup Monday vs. St. Louis.
“We don’t have a clear plan yet,” Montgomery said. “We want to get him in games quickly. Maybe he needs a practice. We have a practice coming Tuesday.”
