Frank Seravalli on Insider Notebook: A lot of people have pointed to Pavel Zacha as a trade chip. I think you need more Pavel Zacha not less. Maybe the guy you try and move is Casey Mittelstadt.
Totally agree. The moment you move Pavel Zacha is the moment you start searching for a player just like him. He’s not untouchable, but replacing the value he provides at his current cap hit would be a significant challenge. While there’s no doubt teams would pay a premium to acquire him, any conversation about trading Zacha has to be balanced by an equally serious discussion about who fills that void. It’s rarely a straightforward equation.
More from Seravalli on Insider Notebook: The Bruins are in a spot where they need more heft up front. How are they gonna find that? Maybe moving out Mittelstadt to get a better fit is a way to start, but you’re gonna have to attach to that to find something impactful.
It’s hard to imagine any Bruins fan believing Mittelstadt, on his own, could be flipped for an upgrade at the same position. I’m not sure we had to be reminded of that. Of course, any realistic scenario would require additional assets. As with any trade discussion, the core questions remain unchanged: What are you adding, what’s the expected return, and how much cap space are you prepared to absorb to make the deal viable for both sides. I’m also questioning whether the Bruins need more heft up front.
More from Seravalli on Flames Talk regarding Andrew Mangiapane and the Edmonton Oilers: For the Oilers it’s not necessarily much about the return and what you get for him, it’s more so about clearing out that cap space. That’s also what’s gonna make getting someone to take that on difficult.
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period weighs in on Mangiapane: The Oilers are actively shopping winger Andrew Mangiapane. He has a full no-trade clause and is willing to waive it for another contender, but I’m told the overall “best fit” is what’s important to him
Once the Bruins are fully healthy and resume banking cap space, they would be in position to absorb a contract carrying a $3.6 million cap hit. A few years ago, this player might have been a logical fit. Today, however, his profile no longer aligns with the direction Boston is pursuing. If the Oilers want to pay to take on that contract, I’m listening. But why would Mangiapane approve a trade to Boston?
Pagnotta on Daily Faceoff Live Talking about the Seattle Kraken: I’m looking at [Jason] Botterill in Seattle, very curious to see what he’s gonna end up doing with some of his guys; pending UFAs, [Jamie] Oleksiak, [Jordan] Eberle, [Jaden] Schwartz, those guys, [Eeli] Tolvanen, they’ve been listening on those guys. [Jared] McCann as well.
Pagnotta on Hello Hockey talking about Rasmus Andersson: I still think he’s getting moved. We know the usual Dallas and Vegas suspects. We know Toronto’s kicked the tires. I could see LA getting back into that discussion.
Elliotte Friedman on Oilers now adds: All I heard was that there’s a gap in between what he was looking for and what they were willing to do. Unless that changes, I think [a trade’s] the most likely scenario.
There are two costs involved here: The cost to acquire and the cost to extend. Those are two costs the Bruins should avoid at all costs. And of course, like Boston, Toronto is linked to everybody.
More from Friedman on Oilers Now talking about the Vancouver Canucks: I’m not expecting anything with Jake DeBrusk, to me the guy I’m watching in Vancouver is Kiefer Sherwood. One thing we learned about with Quinn Hughes is that they can strike quick, so you have to be on the ball.
There will undoubtedly be Bruins fans holding out hope for a DeBrusk reunion, but at this stage it feels like wishful thinking. As for Sherwood, my stance has been consistent from the outset: he’s not a fit. There are reports now that the Canucks have started talks about an extension with him.
Again, from Friedman on The Fan Hockey Show regarding Matias Maccelli: The Leafs had made him available and obviously there weren’t the bites that they liked. They’re kind of hoping for, can the change in the powerplay help him find more of a role there.
Just a reminder, Friedman recently linked Maccelli to the Bruins in his reporting. It feels like an annual ritual at this point: whenever a player is rumored to be available, Boston inevitably finds itself mentioned in the conversation.
THIS AND THAT
According to Sportsnet Stats, when Fraser Minten scored the overtime winner against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, he became the first Bruins rookie to record multiple overtime goals.
January 1 marked the first day NHL clubs were eligible to finalize contract extensions for players on one‑year deals. For the Bruins, that group includes Alex Steeves, Jordan Harris, Jonathan Aspirot, Matej Blumel, Georgii Merkulov, John Farinacci, Riley Tufte, Patrick Brown, Michael Callahan, Victor Soderstrom, Simon Zajicek, and Luke Cavallin.
There’s no real urgency to finalize a contract with any of them at this stage, and waiting until season’s end remains the most prudent approach. If I was forced to select one player to accelerate discussions with, it would be Zajicek — though that decision ultimately depends on the organization’s evaluation of Philip Svedeback and how his year concludes at Providence College.
Bruins at the Olympics: Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy (USA), Elias Lindholm (Sweden), Henri Jokiharju (Finland), David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha (Czechia). We are waiting for Dans Locmelis to be named to the Latvian Roster.
As readers know, we’ve been tracking key developments leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft — a particularly important year for Boston, with the Bruins holding two first‑round selections.
Next on the calendar is the 2026 Chipotle All‑American Game, showcasing top 2026 NHL Draft‑eligible talent from the National Team Development Program and the USHL. The event is set for January 15, 2026, in Plymouth, Michigan, and will air on NHL Network. You can find the full roster here.
Youngest players in Providence: Matthew Poitras – 21 years and 300 days; Dans Locmelis – 21 years and 348 days.
Dom - Hockey 
Hell Dom,
I greatly appreciate your thorough analysis of the Bruins.
My thought about extending a contract is this. Extend Jonathan Aspirot. The guy does the job Carlo was doing at a fraction of the cost. The team’s record with him in the roster is something like 16-5-1. He is a stabilizer who reminds me of Dennis Seiderberg. His defensive game is one of the best on the team. Rarely caught off guard.
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