NHL Insider Frank Seravalli is a free agent in the reporting world, which allows him to roam from show to show. It's easy for some of his reporting to slip through the cracks, which is why not much was made of the recent comments from Seravalli on Canucks Central, which had him circling Casey Mittelstadt as a potential trade piece for the Boston Bruins.
Frank Seravalli: Re Casey Mittelstadt rumours: They're in wait and see mode...to see how that works out; can he put the pieces back together - Canucks Central (9/22)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 27, 2025
As has been well documented on this site, trading one of Pavel Zacha or Mittelstadt cleans up a lot of issues for the Bruins and their preferred rebuild. Marco Sturm is currently trying to find a way to fit Fraser Minten in the lineup, but having Elias Lindholm, Zacha, Mittelstadt, and Sean Kuraly down the middle makes that difficult.
All the talk has been around Zacha, who reportedly had some interest from the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames. However, it seems like another Canadian team is eyeing Mittelstadt.
The Bruins and Vancouver Canucks are no strangers to swapping players, albeit not always from trades. The Canucks have become a destination for former Bruins players in free agency, with Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Derek Forbort all spending time there last year. The Bruins countered by adding Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.
It seems as though the Canucks are on two minds about acquiring Mittelstadt, which isn't too surprising. The center that the Bruins acquired in the Charlie Coyle deal with the Colorado Avalanche last season was seeking a fresh start in Boston, but he didn't leave a whole lot to be desired.
There were glimpses of why teams keep trying to give Mittelstadt chances. He has some offensive upside, but his skating and work ethic can sometimes be subpar, especially for the normally high expectations of a Bruins fan. Pencilling in a player like Mittelstadt as the second-line center doesn't really move the needle after decades of hard-working, two-way centers.
It wouldn't be a massive loss if the Bruins were able to offload Mittelstadt to the Canucks. It opens up a place for both Minten to play in the opening night lineup, and might even help Sturm fit another young player in the mix. While Zacha would likely fetch a better return, if you're looking at which player would upset the dressing room dynamic less, Mittelstadt is the player to move.