At the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney continued his roster reset, moving out additional veteran pieces.
Sweeney shifted his focus to Colorado, sending Charlie Coyle and a 2026 fifth‑round pick to the Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt, Will Zellers, and a 2025 second‑round selection originally acquired from Carolina — the pick Boston ultimately used to draft Liam Pettersson.
On June 27, 2025, the Avalanche dealt Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Gavin Brindley, a 2025 third‑round pick used to select Francesco Dell’elce, and a conditional 2027 second‑round selection. This was seen as nothing more than a salary dump.
It’s worth noting that Zellers was the primary piece Boston targeted in the deal. Colorado’s need to move Mittelstadt for cap reasons came at a price — the inclusion of a second‑round pick. Seeking to recoup an asset, the Avalanche accepted a fifth‑round selection in this year’s draft as part of the return.
Mittelstadt has experienced his share of highs and lows dating back to the end of last season in Boston and into the current campaign. However, since Head Coach Marco Sturm shifted him to the wing, he has looked far more comfortable and effective in that role.
Mittelstadt’s long‑term future in Boston remains uncertain. Should the season continue to trend in the wrong direction, he could emerge as a trade‑deadline asset, extending the evolving trade tree in this deal. Given the way December has unfolded, that scenario is becoming increasingly plausible.
Pettersson remains an intriguing prospect whose development has been tempered this season by injury. The two‑way defenseman brings notable size and has already logged a brief stint against older competition in the SHL. His skating stands out as his most dynamic asset.
The real prize, however, is Zellers — and fans who don’t often catch college hockey are getting their first real look at him on the World Junior stage. The conclusion they’ve drawn: Zellers alone for Coyle was a steal.
There may be some validity to that line of thinking.
What Zellers is doing is hardly a surprise, or at the very least shouldn’t be — and it’s undoubtedly a key reason the Bruins identified him as a priority target.
| SEASON | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS |
| 2022-23 | Shattuck St Mary’s | USHS – Prep | 37 | 19 | 30 | 49 |
| 2022-23 | Shattuck St Mary’s | PHC | 14 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 2023-24 | Shattuck St Mary’s | USHS – Prep | 54 | 57 | 54 | 111 |
| 2023-24 | Shattuck St Mary’s | PHC | 14 | 12 | 10 | 22 |
| 2024-25 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 52 | 44 | 27 | 71 |
| 2025-26 | University of North Dakota | NCAA | 18 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
Zellers’ performance at the World Junior Championship has sparked calls from the fanbase for him to turn pro as soon as his season at North Dakota concludes. While the trajectory is undeniably encouraging, he doesn’t appear ready to make the jump this year — and that’s coming from someone who ranked him third on the Bruins’ prospect list back in June.
There’s no fault in a general manager taking a swing in pursuit of a Stanley Cup run. But history shows that teams often overpay at the trade deadline for moves that carry a low success rate. Ask Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland off the record whether he’d make that deal under different circumstances, and there’s a strong chance the answer would be no.
That alone speaks volumes about the return Boston secured in the deal. Still, Zellers remains a prospect, and development is rarely linear, so it’s wise to temper expectations and allow the situation to unfold naturally.
If Zellers develops into the player many — myself included — believe he can become, and Pettersson reaches his projected ceiling as a top‑four defenseman, the Bruins will have come away from this deal looking like absolute steal‑makers.
Dom - Hockey 