Meet the newest Boston Bruins: Mark Kastelic (C), Joonas Korpisalo (G)

2 of 3

For weeks upon end, rumors have been swirling that the Boston Bruins were actively taking phone calls on a variety of players, including goaltender Linus Ullmark who has now, as of Monday night, been traded to the Ottawa Senators.

In return for Ullmark, the Senators sent the Bruins centerman Mark Kastelic, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The pick, ironically, at first belonged to Boston before it was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Tyler Bertuzzi.

While the pick is a bit more meaningful than just a dump of some salary and security at the goaltender position, it's time to meet the players coming from Ottawa to Boston.

Mark Kastelic - Center

Boston Bruins v Ottawa Senators / Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo/GettyImages

Kastelic comes to the Bruins after three years in the NHL with the Senators.

He was drafted with the first pick in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft following three five seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL where he averaged 47 points per season.

With the Senators, Kastelic has played in a total of 144 games where he has scored 14 goals, and racked up 11 assists. He set career-highs in games played and PIM in 2022-23 with 65 and 102, respectively. He also had a career-high in goals with seven.

Where does he project to play?

Kastelic will most likely play on the fourth line with Trent Frederic, where he will use his 6'4" to imposes his physical presence on the ice, and force the issue if needed.

Kastelic will also play a role on special teams, especially as the go-to centerman where he won 100% of his faceoffs on the power play this past season and 75% on the penalty kill. He most likely be a big body on the defensive lines, and a fire starter.

Projected numbers: 60 games, 8 g, 6 a, 45 PIM

Joonas Korpisalo - Goaltender

Ottawa Senators v New York Rangers / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

Now, all of this writing is assuming Boston does not flip Korpisalo for an even earlier pick or for another player.

Korpisalo comes to the Bruins following nine previous seasons in the NHL, most of them with the Columbus Blue Jackets where he played backup to the likes of Elvis Merzlikins and even, recent Stanley Cup winner, Sergei Bobrovsky.

Perhaps his best season came back in the 2019-20 season where he played in 37 games (35 starts) and carried a 19-12-5 record in those games. He also held a 2.60 GAA, and .911 SV%.

In his only season with the Senators, Korpisalo struggled to say the least. In 55 games (49 starts), he held a 21-26-4 record along with a 3.27 GAA and .890 SV%. To be fair, his partner did not have the best numbers either. Just call it a dreadful season for Ottawa period.

Where does he project to play?

As soon as he is signed to a deal, Korpisalo will almost certainly play second fiddle to Jeremy Swayman who has earned his keeps in net for Boston to say the absolute least with the way he played in the 2023-24 season.

The two will almost certainly split duties in net, as Swayman is still young in age, and Korpisalo is still young in experience, but don't expect to see it as close to 50-50 like it was with Ullmark and Swayman.

Projected stats: 34 games, 17-10-7 record, 3.18 GAA, .905 SV%.

manual

Home / Editorials