Boston Bruins News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Casey Mittelstadt looked good in his Boston Bruins’ debut after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Casey Mittelstadt Impresses in Bruins’ Debut

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brandon Share-Cohen | Last updated Mar 9, 2025 12:25 PM ET

The dust has settled from the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline and it wouldn’t be hyperbole to describe the Boston Bruins as unrecognizable. For the first time in a very long time, the Bruins were placed in the “sellers” camp at the deadline, which made sense given their level of play this season, as well as the market turning into one that benefited selling teams more than buying teams. Though the Bruins ultimately moved on from captain Brad Marchand in a trade with the Florida Panthers, as well as Brandon Carlo to the Maple Leafs, Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers, Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild and Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche, the team did acquire some capable NHL bodies in return. One such name was forward Casey Mittelstadt.

The Bruins are undoubtedly a worse team on paper now than they were before the deadline. At the same time, something about how the team was gelling together wasn’t working. The construction of the 2024-25 Bruins can be dissected ad nauseam, but a glaring downside to their roster was the emphasis on size over speed. While the best teams in the NHL do often carry some size to their roster, it’s clear that these teams also have a certain level of skill, speed and intensity that also make them hard to play against. By adding in players like Marat Khusnutdinov, Jakub Lauko, Henri Jokiharju and Mittelstadt, the Bruins immediately infused some energy into a lineup that sorely needed it all season long.

Mittelstadt Added a Different Element to Bruins’ Attack

Mittelstadt, the eighth overall selection from the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, has shown throughout his NHL career that he can be an electric player to watch on the ice. Though there are certainly knocks on his game, ranging from his consistency in his own defensive zone, as well as being a little loose with the puck at times, Mittelstadt has shown the ability to score in the NHL while also being a player-driver. This was exactly what the Bruins got in his debut when the 26-year-old finished third amongst Bruins’ forwards with 17:55 of ice time, a hit, a blocked shot, a shot on goal and a breakout pass that set up a two-on-one break for the Bruins, leading to a Cole Koepke goal and Mittelstadt’s first point with the Bruins. Mittelstadt was also on the ice for Koepke’s goal which opened the scoring in the contest after he inadvertently blocked a breakout pass from the Lightning while skating off for a line change.

The result was a very comfortable 4-0 win for the Bruins (who had lost eight of their last nine games) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (who had won 10 of their last 11 and had yet to be shutout at home this season).

Mittelstadt, to his credit, played the game with Koepke and Vinni Lettieri as his two linemates. Not to take away from either of these players, but Lettieri has played in just 10 NHL games this season and Koepke has been almost exclusively a fourth-line forward. Despite this, they never really looked outmatched or outclassed; a large part of that can be attributed to Mittelstadt’s play and comfort level, even in his debut with his new club.

While it’s hard to imagine the Bruins view Mittelstadt as a premier top-six option for them down the middle, he is coming off back-to-back 15-plus goal and 57-plus point seasons. He also never fully looked comfortable with the Avalanche this season, which may have had as much to do with fit as anything—sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. Yet, he was productive after the trade last season, tallying four goals and 10 points in 18 regular-season games before adding three goals and nine points in 11 playoff games. His 11 goals and 34 points in 63 games this season might be the exception rather than the rule, and that’s what the Bruins are banking on.

If Mittelstadt can eventually be grouped with other highly-skilled forwards who can help drive play with him, there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a very suitable middle-six center for the team as the Bruins look to retool their roster over the next few seasons.

At just 26 years old and signed for two more seasons at a reasonable $5.75 million cap hit, Mittelstadt could turn into a sneaky-good acquisition for the Bruins. Taking advantage of the market landscape and acquiring a high-scoring prospect in Will Zellers, a 2025 second-round pick and a buy-low player like Mittelstadt could prove to be worth the gamble for the Bruins when all is said and done. As the Bruins shift their focus to retooling rather than competing, Mittelstadt’s mix of skill and experience could be just the kind of piece needed to complement their new-look and hopefully ever-evolving roster. While the immediate future may seem uncertain, the acquisition of Mittelstadt, paired with some other bold moves, could ultimately lay the foundation for a more dynamic Bruins squad in the coming years.