The Boston Bruins will be set to turn things around this season. The club will be looking to get back into playoff contention, given its talented veteran core. As such, GM Don Sweeney will be looking to add pieces that can help catapult the team back atop the Atlantic Division.
One such piece could be former winger Frank Vatrano, now with the Anaheim Ducks. Vatrano was once a Bruins’ prospect, spending three seasons with the club. Boston signed the 31-year-old back in 2015 as an undrafted player. Ten years later, Vatrano could be a valuable member.
Here’s what the trade proposal could look like:
Bruins get:
Frank Vatrano, F
Ducks get:
Casey Mittelstadt, F
2026 second-round pick, F
Unfortunately, Vatrano never really caught on with the Bruins as a prospect. His best season in Boston came in 2016-17 when he scored 10 goals in 44 games. That wasn’t enough for the Bruins to keep him around. So, Vatrano walked, signing with the Florida Panthers.
In Florida, Vatrano scored 24 goals in the 2018-19 season. That led to successive seasons in which he got close to 20 goals, but just couldn’t top the plateau.
He signed with the Anaheim Ducks in 2022 and immediately rewarded his new team with a 22-goal season. He followed that up with a career-best 37 in 2023-24, before falling back down to Earth last season.
At this point in his career, Vatrano is a proven goal-scorer and could provide Boston with the secondary scoring it needs. Sending Mittelstadt clears a potentially complex contract off the books. The second-round pick would be the price to pay for the Ducks taking Mittelstadt’s contract.
Where Vatrano Fits into Bruins’ Lineup
Daily Faceoff currently projects the Boston Bruins’ second line as Mittelstadt at center with Pavel Zacha on the left side and Viktor Arvidsson on the right. That line could change significantly by moving Zacha back to center with Vatrano and Arvidsson on the wings.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that Zacha is still a serviceable center. While there may be questions about him being a second-line pivot, he could fill the void with two talented wingers.
Vatrano, meanwhile, instantly adds punch to the Bruins’ lineup. The team needs proven goal-scorers to take the pressure off David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie on the top unit. That’s why adding Vatrano could be a solid fit for Boston this season.
Trading a Center for a Winger Makes Sense for Now
Trading Mittlestadt, a center, for Vatrano, a winger, makes sense for the Bruins at this point. The team needs scoring, and that’s what Vatrano delivers. Mittelstadt, unfortunately, is too much of a question mark for Boston.
Unless Mittelstadt can prove he’s the sort of second-line center scouts once thought he could become, the Bruins would be better off recouping value for him.
Ultimately, the Ducks could use Mittelstadt to bolster their depth down the middle. So, the trade could be a win-win for both sides. Plus, the Bruins shed about $1 million in cap space. That difference is negligible for the Ducks, as they are the team with the most cap space in the NHL at the moment.
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