Bruins center John Beecher was a regular on the fourth line last season and seemed to have an inside track at a similar role this season before Boston went and overhauled its bottom six. The team added Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Mikey Eyssimont (plus some other depth additions) in free agency, creating more competition for that role. With that in mind, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald posits that Beecher might be in tough simply to earn a spot on the roster let alone retain his slot in the lineup. Considering he’s just 24 and is signed for $900K, it’s unlikely he’d pass through waivers unclaimed so if Boston decides that he’s not going to be on their opening roster, Beecher could find himself on the trade block pretty quickly.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is expected to make his preseason debut tonight, relays Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The veteran has been hampered by a lower-body injury through the first week of camp, holding him out of the lineup in their first three games. While he spent a lot of time at center last season, it’s expected that he will get a look on the right wing on the top line when the regular season gets underway. Domi had just eight goals and 25 assists in 74 games last season, the second-lowest point total of his career.
- Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich returned to practice today, notes Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). He has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the past few days. The 26-year-old spent last season in somewhat of a fourth-line rotation, getting into 42 games where he had four goals and 127 hits. With both Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out long-term to start the season, Gadjovich could be in line for a more consistent spot in the lineup this time around.
He’s a great skater with nice size. He’s also good at the dot. But he probably couldn’t score on an empty net breakaway. Zero offense.