At the trade deadline last March, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made some rather big trades for a team that was fading from the Eastern Conference playoff race. They ended up tied for last in the conference standings and in the Atlantic Division.
Moved out by Sweeney were Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Trent Frederic, and Charlie Coyle, just a few of the names. Boston's GM got a haul of prospects and draft picks across all the deals, and they are seeing some big-time benefits right now with Fraser Minten, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a deal for Carlo.
When Coyle was sent to the Colorado Avalanche, part of the return was one of their top prospects, Will Zellers. A promising young forward, this looks like it is going to be a steal for the Black and Gold. In his first year of college hockey, the third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Avs, he is becoming one of the top scorers at the University of North Dakota. He continued his hot-streak this past weekend for the Fighting Hawks in a weekend sweep of Arizona State on the road.
Bruins prospect Will Zellers continues scoring heater against Arizona State
Zellers played a big role for Team USA in the recent 2026 World Junior Championship, along with fellow Boston prospect James Hagens. Against the Sun Devils this past weekend, Zellers had two goals in Friday night's 7-4 win, then he had one in Saturday night's 5-3 come-from-behind win for the weekend sweep.
His two goals on Friday night came in the third period, which broke open a close game and gave North Dakota some breathing room. Zellers gave North Dakota a 6-3 lead midway through the period, and after Arizona State closed within 6-4, Boston's fast-rising prospect sealed the win with an empty-net goal. On Saturday night, Zellers tied the game in the third period with his 13th goal of the season to spark a three-goal period for the victory.
Another slick feed from Ricky and Zellers makes no mistake!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/9cUnCYLKUB
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) January 24, 2026
Currently, Zellers' 13 goals have him third on the team in goals scored, behind 15 from Dylan James and 14 from Ben Strinden. In the latest USCHO poll, North Dakota is ranked fourth behind Michigan, Michigan State, and Western Michigan. The Fighting Hawks are all but assured a spot in the NCAA Tournament in March, and Zellers will certainly be someone worth keeping an eye on when the madness begins.