The Bruins may have found something real in Will Zellers.
Boston brought in the forward at the 2025 NHL trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche. Coyle was later moved again by Colorado, landing with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2025 NHL off-season.
The appeal with Zellers was easy to see then, and it looks even clearer now. The 2024 third-round pick lit up the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers in 2024-25, putting up 44 goals and 71 points in 52 games. That kind of production made him impossible to ignore and showed the offensive upside that made him worth the swing.
Zellers then moved on to the college game and finished his first season at the University of North Dakota in 2025-26 with a strong freshman campaign. In 38 games, he scored 18 goals and added 16 assists for 34 points. For a first-year player, that’s a solid statement season.
Now comes the part that should really interest Bruins fans: what happens next. With a year of college hockey under his belt, Zellers could be ready to push his game even further in 2026-27. He’s a scoring forward with skill, and there’s plenty of reason to watch how he builds on this season.
If he takes another step, the buzz around his future in Boston only grows. Right now, it’s hard not to be optimistic about what the Bruins might have in him.
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Bruins Quiet Offseason Just Drew A Brutal 2026-27 Verdict
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One Overlooked Bruins Stretch Could Decide Their Playoff Fate
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From March 23 to March 30, the Bruins hit a four-game stretch that brings Buffalo, Ottawa, Washington and Montreal into the picture, with three of those matchups coming against division opponents and a back-to-back mixed in for good measure. For a team trying to keep its playoff position secure, that kind of week can turn into the difference between chasing, holding, or slipping at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A Telling Decision On Matthew Poitras
The Bruins have spent the offseason reshaping the roster with additions like JJ Peterka, Connor Clifton and Will Borgen, but the moves have also sharpened the spotlight on Matthew Poitras. The young forward is still without a new deal as a restricted free agent, and Bostons crowded group of bottom-six forwards has made his path back into the lineup far less straightforward than it looked a year ago.
Poitras does not have arbitration rights, which leaves him in a precarious spot as the calendar moves toward the Dec. 1 signing deadline. If the Bruins cannot find a contract that fits, the conversation may shift from when he will rejoin the team to whether Boston uses him as part of a trade to address another need, a familiar kind of crossroads for a club that has not always handed prospects an easy runway. [Read more 🡒]