Chowder and Champions
Fansided

4 Bruins Who Won’t Be in Boston by the End of the Season

By Devon Platana

Mar 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) reacts after scoring during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) reacts after scoring during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next

3. Ian Mitchell

The Bruins pulled off a trade this summer that saw them acquire defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula from the Chicago Blackhawks for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno.

While some supporters might be hopeful of Mitchell sticking around in Boston, I don’t like his chances.

For starters, the Bruins already have seven defensemen returning from the 2023-24 roster. At best that would put him in competition for the No. 8 spot… if it wasn’t for Boston also signing former all-star D-man Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year deal back in July.

I also have a hard time seeing the No. 8 spot going to anyone but Mike Reilly. While the 30-year-old veteran spent the majority of last season in the American Hockey League, he easily earned another NHL look after racking up 26 points in 36 games with Providence.

Meanwhile, Mitchell recorded eight points in 35 games with the Blackhawks. Although that’s far from the worst performance, it isn’t exactly eye-popping given that he was a second-round selection in 2017. Eventually, he needs to show more.

Injuries pop up frequently and I wouldn’t be surprised if a team calls about Mitchell once disaster strikes. Moving him wouldn’t be a bad idea if that’s the case. A deal would free up some space on the backend and the fact that he’s a restricted free agent in 2024 could see the Bruins get some nice draft capital back.

Barring a complete breakout campaign, I wouldn’t get used to Mitchell in a Bruins jersey just yet.

Home/Boston Bruins