By: Brandon Murdock | Follow me on Twitter/X @Brandonmurdoc11
The 2024-25 Boston Bruins did not have the season they were looking for. They ultimately missed the playoffs and finished with the fifth-worst record in the entire National Hockey League. The lack of success led to them being sellers at the trade deadline.
This year’s version of the team is in much better shape as they currently hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. But, with this year’s trade deadline less than a week away, I wanted to look back and reflect one year later on how last year’s fire sale panned out.
Florida Panthers
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Conditional second-round pick in 2027 or 2028, converted to first with Marchand playing in 50% of Panthers playoff games; Panthers Receive: Brad Marchand
Grade: D+
While it made sense to trade an aging Brad Marchand, who wanted a chance at another Championship while the Bruins were out of the playoff race, trading him to the Panthers for such a low return does not. While rumors were floating around about how that’s where he wanted to go, and the Bruins honored that, they could have found a way to maximize the return of a piece that played a pivotal role in the Panthers securing their second straight Stanley Cup. The saving grace of the trade would be to see how that first-round pick pans out; outside of that, this trade remains confusing and a loss for the Bruins.
New Jersey Devils
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Daniil Misyul, Devils Receive: Marc McLaughlin
Grade: C
This trade flew under the radar last year and rightfully so. Neither player had a big impact before the trade, and that point holds one year later. This trade was more of a change of scenery trade for the prospects involved and ultimately did not help or hurt the Bruins.
Buffalo Sabres
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Henri Jokiharju; Sabres Receive: Fourth-round pick in 2026
Grade: B-
Jokiharju has been a solid acquisition for the Bruins and has been helpful this season. So far, he has recorded nine points and a positive plus/minus. He is not the most flashy defender in the world, but for what they gave up, he gets the job done. It looks even better considering the team extended him over the summer for three more years.
Edmonton Oilers
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Maximus Wanner, second-round pick in 2025, fourth-round pick in 2026; Oilers Receive: Trent Frederic and Max Jones
Grade: B+
Losing Frederic at the time hurt; however, his play in Edmonton has eased the pain a little bit. Through 59 games since the trade, Frederic has only scored four points with his new team. While that may shock you, the contract he got from them was even more shocking. Signing an eight-year extension with the team, worth $30.8 million after playing just one game with the team last season. On the other hand, for the Bruins, the prize of this trade was the second-round draft pick last year. This turned into William Moore, who has shown flashes as a promising player as he has gone on during his freshman campaign at Boston College.
Minnesota Wild
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Marat Khusnutdinov, Jakub Lauko, sixth-round pick in 2026; Wild Receive: Justin Brazeau
Grade: B+
Jakub Lauko was a serviceable player through the end of last season in his second stint with the Bruins. But Marat Khusnutdinov showed flashes last year and has been an even bigger piece this year. So far, Khusnutdinov has recorded 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points on the season.
He is also someone who has shown flexibility as head coach Marco Sturm has moved him up and down the lineup. The 23-year-old has shown grit and speed in his game and looks to be an integral part of the Bruins’ rebuild moving forward. A big return for a bottom-six forward.
Colorado Avalanche
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Casey Mittelstadt, Will Zellers, second-round pick in 2025; Avalanche Receive: Charlie Coyle, fifth-round pick in 2026
Grade: A-
Casey Mittelstadt is another player who has had a good season-and-a-half with the team. Securing 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points this season, while playing mainly in a middle-six role. The second-round pick last year was used on Liam Petersson, who is a defenseman who has shown promise in the Swedish Hockey League.
Will Zellers is the real winner in this deal, as he has exploded onto the scene in his freshman year at North Dakota with 17 goals and 10 assists for 27 points on the season. He also recorded five goals and three assists in just five games in the World Junior Championships a few months ago. Zellers scoring ability has been clear, and with the skill that is coming up in the Bruins pipeline, he could be a huge factor going forward.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Trade: Bruins Receive: Fraser Minten, fourth-round pick in 2025, first-round pick in 2026; Maple Leafs Receive: Brandon Carlo
Grade: A
The trade that keeps on giving for the Bruins. For starters, they used that fourth-round pick last year on Vashek Blanar, who has good size and looked good at developmental camp this past summer. Fraser Minten has had a really good rookie season for the Bruins, recording 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in a middle-six role. He is sure to be around for the long haul. Finally, we get to the first-round pick in this upcoming draft. It is top-five protected, but the Maple Leafs are not bad enough to fall into that range, barring a draft lottery night catastrophe for the Bruins. But, with Toronto in a landslide right now, that pick will most likely fall in the 6-12 range. A spot where another top-tier prospect can be added to a prospect pool that continues to get deeper and deeper.
Overall, the Bruins completed seven trades at last year’s deadline, and for the most part, one year later, look like winners. They shed salary, got younger, and deepened what was a very thin prospect pool. This should catapult the team into the next great Boston Bruin era.
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