Will Zellers could add to the Bruins’ 2025 trade deadline haul
This story originally appeared in the Globe’s Sunday Hockey Notes. Read the rest here.
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While center Dean Letourneau opened the most eyes at development camp, winger Will Zellers popped a few eyeballs himself.
Zellers could be the next young player acquired during Boston’s 2025 trade deadline purge to have an impact on the NHL roster.
A third-round pick of the Avalanche in 2024, Zellers was acquired as part of the Charlie Coyle deal. The Bruins also received forward Casey Mittelstadt and the No. 62 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used to select Liam Pettersson.
Fraser Minten (obtained in the Brandon Carlo-to-Toronto trade) and Marat Khusnutdinov (acquired as part of the Justin Brazeau-to-Minnesota swap) provided big contributions last season, and Zellers could fall in line.
The camp was the capper on an eventful 2025-26 season for the 6-foot, 180-pound Zellers, who combines slick skating with exceptional vision and instincts to consistently generate scoring threats. As a freshman, the 20-year-old put up 18 goals and 34 points in 38 games at the University of North Dakota.
The jump from the USHL to the NCAA was a huge benefit.
“For sure, more. I mean, I think college hockey is at the best it’s been right now. With the rule change [allowing CHL players to enroll] and all these top talent kids coming,” said Zellers. “So, I think it for sure helped me.
“Pretty much every team you’re playing against, there’s at least a couple first rounders on each team. No matter who you play for or who you play against. Even a team like Denver, which they don’t have the biggest superstars, but they play so hard and so well.
“I think it was for sure a lot harder this year, but I think that just helps you prepare for the next level. You don’t want any level to be easy. So having to be a little hard was great for me.”
His 200-foot game, attention to details, and physicality all improved in his first season with the Fighting Hawks.
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Zellers really shined at the World Juniors, where he collected five goals and three assists in five games for Uncle Sam. He was a late addition to the roster, but he made his mark right from the start.
The tournament, held in St. Paul, Minn., was extra special for Zellers, a native of nearby Maple Grove.
“Being at my home state, anytime you get to represent your country, it’s something so special and something I’ll never take for granted,” he said. “Anytime you get put on that USA jersey, they have a lot of pride in it. So, I mean, it was so special. Putting on that jersey, especially being in my hometown, having a lot of family there and my grandparents being able to come and see me — they don’t get to come out at UND too much. So having them there was pretty special.
“It takes a village to get to that point and it’s always great. Having everyone in my corner has helped me get there and made sacrifices, come out and enjoy a tournament like that.”
At Worlds, Zellers bonded with James Hagens. The two could be a big part of the Bruins offense of the future.
“Me and James got really close. He’s a funny guy,” Zellers said. “I mean, you can tell the way Boston drafts, they draft character first and then hockey skill second because you can change your skill, you can’t change your character.
“So, they’re drafting guys like Dino [Letourneau], James, [Jonathan] Morello, like just great overall guys, guys you want to be around. And he’s such a fun guy to be around. There’s no such thing as spending too much time with James. He’s a guy you can hang out with for hours. So we got really close there, and especially playing on the same line at the end there. It was a lot of fun and really excited for the future.”
While many expect Letourneau to make the jump to the pros at the end of Boston College’s season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Zellers finds himself in Black and Gold next spring as well.
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