Casey Mittelstadt walked into Boston Bruins camp with a big smile, and head coach Marco Sturm noticed it immediately.
"I can tell already he comes in, came in with a big smile," Sturm said. "He's in a good spot right now, I feel like."
That comfort matters after a season where Mittelstadt dealt with a healthy scratch before turning his year around.
Mittelstadt posted 42 points in 71 games last season, adding 2 points in 6 playoff games for a Bruins team that finished 45-27-10.
Sturm pointed to that one scratch as an actual turning point rather than a setback.
"Everything kinda after that one scratch went his way," Sturm said. "I think he feels that there's another level in him."
Mittelstadt reportedly told Sturm directly that he wants to take that next step himself, a real signal of self-awareness from a player trying to build on a strong finish.
Why Boston needs that next level from him now
Boston's center depth has real competition brewing behind Mittelstadt, with James Hagens pushing hard for a role and Pavel Zacha and Fraser Minten already established in the middle six.
That competition could either sharpen Mittelstadt's game or squeeze his role, depending on how camp actually plays out.
Mittelstadt carries a $5,750,000 cap hit, a number that puts real pressure on him to produce at a level closer to a top-six regular than a middle-six complementary piece.
Sturm's read on his mindset suggests the belief is already there internally, which matters just as much as raw talent when a player is trying to break through to a new level.
Boston finished eighth overall last season, a roster with real depth up front, and every incremental step forward from a player like Mittelstadt adds to the team's overall ceiling.
Whether that internal belief turns into results once real games start counting is the only thing left to prove.
Will Casey Mittelstadt take a real step forward for the Bruins this season?
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