For a good part of the offseason, Boston Bruins forward Casey Mittlestadt has been in trade rumors. He isn't the only player who has been a subject of trade rumors, as another forward, Pavel Zacha, has had his name thrown around in a potential deal.
Training camp begins in just over a week for the Black and Gold at Warrior Ice Arena, and unless something stunning comes out of nowhere, both players will likely be there. What makes it even more likely that he'll be there is what he revealed to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald about the conversation he had with first-year coach Marco Sturm.
Boston Bruins forward Casey Mittlestadt reveals what Marco Sturm told him after being hired as head coach
In an interview with Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Mittlestadt, acquired from the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline as part of the package that sent Charlie Coyle to the Mile High City, revealed what Boston's new bench boss said to him.
“He just said he’s excited. He’s watched me a lot and he likes the way I play,” said Mittelstadt. “I’ve heard very good things from people around the league. It’s exciting. Any time you get a new coach, it’s exciting and there’s a little jump of energy for the team.”
If Sturm "is excited and he likes the way he plays", then that right there tells you that he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Could that change by March's trade deadline? Yes, but right now, it appears that he'll be in camp looking to solidify a spot on the roster for the 2025-26 season.
Where is he going to be slotted? That's something to keep an eye on as he is projected to be a center and likely the No. 2 center behind Elias Lindholm after general manager Don Sweeney failed to add one either in free agency or a trade this summer. With a $5.75 million cap hit, Mittlestadt isn't going to be easy to move, but he needs to prove that he's worth that, and who knows, maybe under Sturm, the Bruins will get his best all season long.