Boston Bruins
Gamers like Olen Zellweger and Mason McTavish might be potential targets for the Bruins this summer time.
Cam Neely didn’t mince phrases earlier this month when requested concerning the Bruins’ high wants this offseason.
“We want extra expertise, we want extra pace,” the Bruins president declared. “That’s one thing that we now have to attempt to purchase in a method, form or type. However you take a look at the elite groups within the league, we’re not there.”
All it takes is a fast look on the 4 remaining golf equipment within the Stanley Cup Playoffs — the Canadiens, Hurricanes, Avalanche, and Golden Knights — to get a sobering actuality test as to how a lot work is required to reshape Boston’s roster right into a authentic contender.
Honest to say, the Bruins aren’t only one participant away from placing themselves excessive.
Boston has a number of wants it should deal with this summer time and within the coming years — be it a top-line middle, a minutes-munching, top-four D-man on the best aspect, and extra talent throughout the depth chart.
Because the Bruins attempt to construct off of this season’s progress and push back the specter of regression, the necessity for extra upside is obvious on a workforce nonetheless within the early levels of replenishing its prospect pipeline and really cultivating homegrown expertise on the roster.
As intriguing because it is likely to be for Boston to try to hook a giant fish like Robert Thomas or Brady Tkachuk by way of commerce this offseason, there’s no assure that stated property will even be up for grabs — or whether or not Boston has the outright property to win such a high-stakes bidding warfare.
Much like how Boston recognized a future 39-goal scorer in Morgan Geekie on the open market or swapped out Erik Haula for a seemingly rudderless Pavel Zacha, Boston’s greatest guess at successfully retooling on the fly goes to require Don Sweeney and his workers to get inventive this summer time.
A type of potential offseason avenues? Discovering a commerce suitor rife with distressed property, cap restraints, or a glut of redundant gamers.
And relating to discovering a match, there’s lots to love about what an ascending Anaheim Geese workforce might need to supply.
The Bruins and Geese have been common commerce companions over time, agreeing to 4 totally different swaps since 2020. Since present Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek took over in February 2022, he’s struck two offers with Sweeney — sending Hampus Lindholm to Boston in March 2022 earlier than sending a fourth-round decide over to the Bruins for Jeffrey Viel this January.
However why precisely would a younger Geese workforce that simply made it to the second spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs have any curiosity in transferring property off its roster?
A few of it’s rooted in Anaheim’s need to chop into some redundant areas of their depth chart, whereas additionally giving themselves as a lot fiscal flexibility as attainable with some hefty paydays on the horizon.
Whereas Anaheim is projected to enter this offseason with over $40 million in cap space, a very good chunk of that cash goes to be tied up in two of its high stars in 21-year-old, top-line middle Leo Carlsson and 22-year-old winger Cutter Gauthier — each of whom are pending restricted free brokers.
Past doubtlessly biting the bullet and making an attempt to signal that duo to 2 long-term offers now as a substitute of letting their values proceed to spike, Anaheim additionally has three veteran D-men in John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, and captain Radko Gudas all hitting free company — with the Geese doubtlessly inserting worth on re-upping these elder statesmen on a workforce affected by youthful skaters.
Add within the postseason utilization of some youthful, unproven gamers beneath the watch of coach Joel Quenneville, and Verbeek is likely to be keen to eavesdrop on some gamers who may enchantment to a Bruins workforce on the lookout for a number of roster upgrades this summer time.
Two names specifically to maintain tabs on are defenseman Olen Zellweger and middle Mason McTavish.
Zellweger, a 22-year-old defenseman, will not be probably the most imposing determine at 5-foot-10 and 193 kilos. The left-shot blueliner additionally doesn’t account for the emptiness on the best aspect of Boston’s D corps.
But when the Bruins are on the lookout for a fleet-footed, expert puck mover who may doubtlessly pair with Charlie McAvoy and will add extra pace to the again finish, Zellweger is a participant who may take off with extra reps elsewhere.
Zellweger, who scored seven objectives and 22 factors over 76 video games with Anaheim this previous season, solely appeared in three of the Geese’ 12 video games this postseason — scoring a aim and an help over that stretch.
A pending RFA, Zellweger is the kind of participant that the Bruins ought to look to put money into in the event that they’re on the lookout for high-upside talent — particularly in the event that they’re keen to offer stated participant extra minutes and a better function transferring ahead.
He’d additionally match into Boston’s mandate of incorporating extra pace and talent into an space of the lineup that might use some scoring punch and dynamic personnel.
According to NHL Edge tracking data, Zellweger ranked within the 98th percentile in skating bursts over 22 miles per hour (eight instances), 99th percentile in 20-22 mph bursts (162), and 99th percentile in 18-20 mph bursts (587).
If Boston is trying to each increase a few of its defensive personnel and doubtlessly slot different holdovers like Jonathan Aspirot into a task on the third line, a younger D-man like Zellweger can be a really intriguing addition to the Bruins’ blue line transferring ahead.
McTavish is a better threat, given each his contract and the extensive hole between his flooring and ceiling.
The third-overall decide within the 2021 NHL Draft, McTavish nonetheless has loads of upside as a possible top-six middle with a sturdy 6-foot-1, 219-pound body.
After posting 52 factors in 76 video games in 2024-25, the expert pivot’s tenure in Orange County has been rocky, to say the least.
After a protracted contract negotiation that carried into late September 2025, McTavish lastly signed a six-year deal price $7 million per season — solely to regress beneath Quenneville’s watch.
Pushed down the depth chart by Carlsson and veteran Mikael Granlund, McTavish posted 41 factors over 75 video games in 2025-26. He was scratched in two playoff video games, averaging simply 12:25 of ice time per postseason contest when he was within the lineup.
McTavish’s worth has taken a success, however it wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if the Geese dangle the 23-year-old middle to see if somebody needs to tackle that contract and faucet into his evident upside.
A Bruins workforce determined so as to add extra expertise down the center may make sense for McTavish, particularly if he can attain his ceiling as a authentic top-six expertise who can throw his weight round.
There’s much more threat in an unproven commodity like McTavish, particularly given his cap hit, slower foot pace (simply 29 pace bursts between 20-22 mph), and the viable situation the place he develops right into a serviceable, regular participant — however not precisely a needle-mover.
However because the Bruins proceed to go away no stone unturned relating to reshuffling their roster and incorporating youthful expertise, gamers like McTavish and Zellweger is likely to be extra reasonable targets when weighed towards established stars like Thomas or Tkachuk.
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