The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, with the cracks in the lineup potentially beginning to show. First-year coach Marco Sturm has tried his best to maximize his lineup’s talents, but only has a 3-4 record to show for it after seven games.
Unfortunately, calls have begun to bench players. These calls have put the onus on the team to find ways of sparking a turnaround before the season gets out of hand.
But one player that’s likely on the outs is former first-round pick Casey Mittelstadt. Mittelstadt was a scratch in the Bruins’ last game against the Utah Mammoth. The forward has just two goals in six games, and, well, his spot in the lineup has gradually slipped.
That situation means the Bruins are set to face an uncomfortable conversation regarding Mittelstadt. Does the club cut its losses and ship Mittelstadt away? Or does the team hang on a bit longer to see if things turn around?
Despite the high demand for centers and the lack of available ones, the Bruins will have a hard time moving Mittelstadt. The Bruins took on a bad asset off the Colorado Avalanche’s hands last season, when they sent Charlie Coyle for the 26-year-old.
The Avalanche have since moved on from Coyle, while the Bruins are stuck with Mittelstadt. Now, Boston may be staring at the prospect of waiving Mittelstadt as the team explores other options regarding the beleaguered former eighth overall pick.
Bruins may have no choice but to dump Mittelstadt
The Bruins are not against the cap at the moment. They have a little over $2.3 million without any players on IR waiting to come back. So, there is no significant pressure on the Bruins’ cap situation at the moment.
So, having Mittelstadt’s cap hit on the books isn’t financially crippling. But then again, his contract would be an albatross keeping the club from making other moves.
Now, if the Bruins sink to the bottom of the standings, they may just waive Mittelstadt and hope there’s someone desperate enough to take him. But if the Bruins turn things around and climb back to the top of the standings, moving Mittelstadt may become an urgent matter.
Don Sweeney has likely looked at all his options at the moment and figured out where things could go. The options, sadly, may not be the most encouraging. The Bruins may end up moving Mittelstadt, but they’ll likely have to retain salary to move the wheels.
Then again, massive injuries could open the door for the Bruins to prey on another club and get out from under Mittelstadt’s contract.