It was a franchise-altering trade deadline day for the Boston Bruins. Bruins general manager traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, and Charlie Coyle on March 7. This was after they had already traded Trent Frederic, Max Jones, and Justin Brazeau.
For Coyle, the Bruins received Casey Mittelstadt, William Zellers, and a conditional 2025 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche. They also sent their 2026 fifth-round pick to Colorado in the move.
Mittelstadt is the biggest name Boston got from the Avalanche in this deal. While the 26-year-old has had a bit of a down season this year, he is also coming off back-to-back seasons where he had at least 57 points. However, Bruins fans should get to know Zellers, as he has the potential to be a big surprise for the Original Six club.
Zellers, 18, is currently in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers and is demonstrating his scoring potential. In 40 games with the Gamblers this season, the winger has a USHL-leading 37 goals and is second in the league with 58 points. This is incredible offensive production from the 2024 third-round pick, and he is undoubtedly a great addition to a Bruins prospect pool that needs serious help.
However, Zellers still has much more work to do before he is ready for the professional level. He is committed to playing at the University of North Dakota next season, and all eyes should be on him once he makes the jump to the collegiate level. If the 5-foot-10 forward can translate his offensive success from the USHL to the NCAA, it will only create more hype surrounding him.
Overall, the Bruins have picked up a promising prospect in Zellers through the Coyle trade. It will be interesting to see how much an impact he can make with the Bruins later down the road, but his remarkable play at the USHL level is undoubtedly encouraging.
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