The Boston Bruins will be looking to get back into the playoff hunt this season. After some significant changes last season, this year promises to usher in a turnaround with a younger lineup.
While some of these changes could bring in a new era of competitiveness and sustained success, question marks emerge. One of the biggest question marks surrounds a former first-round pick.
In particular, the forward in question is Casey Mittelstadt. He’s entering a crucial season in which he will have to prove he’s worth the three-year, $17.25 million contract he signed last offseason.
Mittelstadt arrived in Boston following the trade with the Colorado Avalanche that sent Charlie Coyle to Denver. However, Mittelstadt hasn’t overly impressed during his time with the Bruins. If that trend continues, Mittelstadt could find himself hitting the waiver wire.
The Bruins hope that the 26-year-old can carve out a permanent spot for himself in the team’s lineup. However, he’ll have to hit the ground running in training camp this fall. The expectation will be that Mittelstadt can show he’s a capable top-six forward with upside despite his age.
But if he can’t, the Bruins may have no choice but to put him on waivers. It would be a costly move, but a necessary one given the circumstances.
Bruins Wouldn’t Have to Worry about Mittelstadt Being Claimed on Waivers
The Bruins wouldn’t have to worry about Casey Mittelstadt being claimed off waivers. His $5.725 million cap hit is enough to scare interested parties away. Unless there was a team desperately seeking a center and had the cap space to take on his full hit, Mittelstadt is likely to clear waivers.
That’s both a good and a bad thing for the Bruins. Firstly, it’s a good thing because they wouldn’t lose Mittlestadt for nothing. If the club wanted to trade him later on, they could recoup some assets in return.
The downside is that even if he reports to the AHL, the team wouldn’t be able to get out from under his cap hit. While that may not necessarily be an issue at this point, it would be somewhat of an inconvenience for the Bruins.
Perhaps the Bruins can survey the market at some point during training camp. If several teams find themselves stricken with injuries and other shortcomings down the middle, they could be looking to pluck Mittelstadt off waivers. The Bruins could then utilize the free cap space to find another useful center.
AHL Stint Could Help Mittelstadt Rediscover His Game
For some players, heading down to the AHL is an opportunity to push the reset button. It allows them to pause and think about what they need to do to be successful NHLers. Often, a demotion is hardly a death sentence. It’s just an opportunity that teams give players to get back on track with the NHL spotlight on their backs.
In Mittelstadt’s case, a stint in the AHL could be an opportunity to rekindle the talent that made him the eighth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He’s still young enough to where he could contribute for another decade in the league.
The biggest issue could be getting back on track and proving that there’s still plenty of room to grow moving forward.
Bruins $17.25M Forward Could Land on Waivers in 2025-26