By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on X @cookejournalism
Don Sweeney found a diamond in the rough. Mark Kastelic, an under-the-radar bottom-six power forward, has turned out to be a picture-perfect fit for the 2024-25 Boston Bruins. On Friday afternoon, he was rewarded, signing a three-year contract extension that runs through 2027-28 with an annual cap hit of $1.567 million.
Kastelic’s welcome to Boston over the summer wasn’t necessarily the warmest, viewed as a throw-in to the Linus Ullmark deal that brought Joonas Korpisalo and a 2024 first-round draft pick from the Ottawa Senators. Kastelic, who recorded just 5-5-10 in 63 games in the 2023-24 season, wasn’t exactly an impact player on a Senators team with minimal talent.
The 6-foot-4, 226-pound Kastelic has been perhaps one of Boston’s most impactful stalwarts since the summer blockbuster. Not only has he amassed 4-7-11 in 39 games in a Bruins sweater — surpassing his total in Ottawa nearly halfway through the season — he’s been the flame the Bruins have desperately needed throughout an up-and-down season in Boston.
Kastelic has been every bit of a bottom-six energy boost for the B’s, leading the team in hits (151) while being tied for the lead in penalty minutes (76). His numbers even stand out league-wide, as his 151 hits rank second in the National Hockey League. Not bad for what was considered a throw-in to the Ullmark swap.
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