Earlier this offseason, the Boston Bruins acquired forward Mark Kastelic from the Ottawa Senators as one of the pieces in the Linus Ullmark trade. The hope is that Kastelic will be a key part of the Bruins' bottom six for the 2024-25 season.
While recently speaking with reporters after captains' practice, Kastelic discussed one of the first things he thought after being dealt to the Bruins:
"I think that’s something stood out to me when I got traded here, how big and heavy everybody is. I fall into that category. It’s definitely different not being one of the biggest guys around. I feel pretty average here. That’s the style of hockey that everybody wants to play here this year, to be big and heavy. I think everyone’s excited for what we have in the room."
There is no question that the Bruins are a much bigger team than they were in 2023-24. They added Kastelic (6-foot-4), Nikita Zadorov (6-foot-6), Riley Tufte (6-foot-6), and Max Jones (6-foot-3). In addition, as Charlie McAvoy recently mentioned, he is the team's smallest defenseman, even being at a solid 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds.
The Bruins are also entering next season as the NHL's heaviest team, with an average weight of 207 pounds. In addition, 13 of their players are over 6-foot-3. Clearly, Sweeney wants the Bruins to be a tougher team to go up against, and players who play with an edge like Kastelic should help with that.
Kastelic, 25, appeared in 63 games last season with the Senators, recording five goals, 10 points, 126 hits, and 63 penalty minutes. During the season before with the Sens, he had seven goals, 11 points, 102 penalty minutes, and 154 hits. Clearly, he plays a heavy game, and it will be fascinating to see how much of an impact he makes because of it.
