Key Takeaways
- Trade rumors continue to surround the Boston Bruins, with Joonas Korpisalo and Pavel Zacha's names consistently coming up.
- However, another Bruins player in Casey Mittelstadt could potentially be on the move, according to sources.
- “I’ve been hearing Casey Mittelstadt could be on the move again since before the Bruins' season even ended,” an NHL executive told RG.
Casey Mittelstadt in action for Bruins (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha and goalie Joonas Korpisalo have been constants on the NHL trade rumor circuit since the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but neither player has been traded. Could another Bruins player, though, find himself on a new team before the 2025-26 regular season begins in October?
“I don’t know how many rumors he’s been in, but I’ve been hearing [Casey] Mittelstadt could be on the move again since before the Bruins season even ended,” an NHL executive told RG recently. “There was a common feeling that he wasn’t their main target when they traded for him; Zellers and the second-round draft pick were.”
It should be noted that RG heard the same thing when the Boston Bruins acquired forwards Casey Mittelstadt and William Zellers and a 2025 second-round draft pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Charlie Coyle and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick just before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7.
“I know their amateur scouts were hellbent on getting Zellers,” the executive above added. “They were intent on restocking with picks and prospects, and he was one of the prospects they were really targeting. That was a great get by the Bruins, and I think Don [Sweeney] did a great job at the deadline and at the draft in achieving their goal. That being said, where or how does Mittelstadt fit into their plan going forward?
I think a lot of teams have been and are expecting the Bruins to flip him at some point, but where’s his value at right now if that’s the case? They may just see how it goes this season. Maybe he reshapes his value, and if they’re out of it again at the next trade deadline, then they move him then and parlay him into another pick or prospect.”
After being acquired by the Bruins, Mittelstadt, 26, finished the 2025-26 season with four goals and two assists in 18 games with the Bruins after scoring 11 goals to go with 23 assists in 63 games for the Colorado Avalanche. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has 81 goals and 155 assists in 438 NHL games since being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres eighth overall at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Mittelstadt has two years remaining on a three-year, $17.2 million ($5.7M AAV) contract he signed with the Avalanche before last season.
Zellers, 19, was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round (76th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native has already shown plenty of offensive flair at a young age. As a 16-year-old, Zellers had 57 goals and 54 assists in 54 games for the Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep team. This past season, Zellers had 44 goals and 27 assists in 52 games. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward will be playing for the University of North Dakota this coming season.
As for the NHL trade rumors surrounding Joonas Korpisalo and Pavel Zacha, Korpisalo’s agent told RG last month that rumors that his client had requested a trade from the Bruins were false.
“There is no truth to that; Joonas loves it in Boston,” NHL player agent Markus Lehto replied in an email on July 5 when asked if there was any truth to the rumor that his client had asked out of the Bruins.
When asked recently by RG about the validity of the Zacha trade rumors, Zacha’s agent, Paul Cappizano, just replied:
“Lots of rumors.”
