It is no secret that the Boston Bruins have some players who have had their names floated about in trade rumors since the season ended last April. Two of those players who have been mentioned throughout the summer and leading into training camp are Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittlstadt.
Both players figure to be part of the Bruins' lineup to at least begin the season for first-year coach Marco Sturm, but after that, depending on how things go, who knows what their futures might be with the Black and Gold. Several teams in the Eastern Conference have been linked to Zacha, including the Montreal Canadiens, of all teams. However, general manager Don Sweeney does have a history of trading impactful players within the division.
However, Sara Civian of Bleacher Report had six bold predictions for the upcoming season, and she listed three potential trade destinations for Zacha: two Western Conference teams and an Atlantic Division team.
Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha has three trade destinations revealed
The Vancouver Canucks, which would reunite Zacha with former Boston teammate Jake DeBrusk, the Utah Mammoth, and the Detroit Red Wings were listed as three destinations should Sweeney decide to move the former New Jersey Devils forward. Here is what Civian wrote,
"It'll be an interesting year for the Bruins, who became sellers for the first time in a long time at the trade deadline last year. Hey, goaltender Jeremy Swayman could bounce back and make things interesting this season, but you get the sense that there's more selling to come for the Bruins regardless.
"Pavel Zacha is a sound top to middle-six-ish center who could add a lot of value and some confidence down the middle with two years left of his $4.7 million cap hit. Could the Canucks, who traded star center JT Miller to the Rangers and haven't quite recovered, provide a suitable landing spot?"
Vancouver needs another impactful forward, and Utah is looking to add pieces to become a playoff team in the Western Conference. Still, Sweeney trading a player like Zacha within the division, whether it's Detroit or Montreal, would certainly be a decision.
If Zacha was going to be moved before the season started, you would think he would have been moved by now, but never say never. If the Bruins struggle out of the gate or feel that they need a desperate upgrade, then anything is on the table. Zacha will continue to be the topic of trade rumors around the league, depending on how things are going for the Bruins in Year 1 under Sturm.