Troiani Rink Report

The Boston Bruins begin on-ice drills at training camp Thursday and one player new bench boss Marco Sturm is planning to take a closer look at is Pavel Zacha.

Zacha has proven to be a dependable three-zone center, but the 28-year-old talented Czech can also play left wing. Sturm noted the flexibility he has with Zacha in the lineup.

“I don’t know. To be honest (…) I love him as a centerman, absolutely love him,” Sturm told reporters Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena. “But, he might have to play on the wing. I don’t know.

“That’s something, again, you’re going to see, you might ask me anything you can but I will give you the same answer all the time. It doesn’t mean tomorrow you’re going to look at the lineup, you’re going to look going to look at the lines a little bit. I guarantee you that that’s not the lineup we’re going to go with game one.

Sturm continued: “I can guarantee you it’s not the lineup we’re going to go with probably game one of preseason. So there will be some changes because I want to see it. I can look all summer long at clips, but I’ve got to stand behind the bench, I’ve got to see it in practice, I’ve got to see it behind the bench, I’ve got to feel it.”

As a former Bruins player himself, Sturm is going to rely heavily on his instincts in his first year at the helm for Boston.

“And I can tell you right away, when I see Zacha for example, when he plays wing or centerman, I can see right away. I can tell you what’s the best not just for him, but for us as a team, and as a line where he’s in to get the best opportunity.”

If Zacha does land on the wing, it provides more opportunity for Casey Mittelstadt, Matthew Poitras or Fraser Minten to solidify a spot at center.

Boston acquired Mittelstadt at last season’s trade deadline from the Colorado Avalanche for a package that included Charlie Coyle. He tallied four goals and added two assists in 18 games for the Black and Gold.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is expecting Mittelstadt to have more production in the 2025-26 season.

“It probably starts with confidence, coming in now, knowing the players and what his role is, rather than just joining a team that was in the opposite direction; the team he was leaving last year,” Sweeney said Wednesday. “I think it will be very good for Casey. He had a good off-season. He’s ready to go. He knows that production is part of why we acquired him and being able to be creative and drive offense for us. He knows it. He wants it and is looking forward to the opportunity that he’s going to have.”

Mittelstadt has 155 assists and 236 points in 438 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Avalanche and Bruins.

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