The Boston Bruins are nearing a fully healthy defensive core. Earlier today, the Bruins announced that they’ve assigned defenseman Jordan Harris to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on a conditioning loan.
Harris, 25, is in his first year with his hometown team. The Haverhill, MA native signed a one-year, $825K contract with Boston last summer after being non-tendered by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before his one-year stint with Columbus, he had spent three years with the Montreal Canadiens before being traded in 2024 for Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick.
Unfortunately, his time with the Bruins hasn’t gone to plan. Due to suffering a fractured ankle in October, Harris has been limited to five appearances for Boston this season. In those five contests, Harris has registered one goal and one assist, averaging 15:38 of ice time per game.
Furthermore, unless there’s another injury, Harris may not have access to much ice time upon his return. Due to multiple injuries on the blue line, the Bruins have given Jonathan Aspirot a larger opportunity this season, and he’s run with it. He’s been a bright spot in Boston this year, achieving a +19 rating in 30 games with an exceptional 94.6% on-ice SV% at even strength. The Bruins rewarded him a little over a week ago, signing Aspirot to a two-year extension.
That may push Harris into a depth role for the rest of the campaign through no fault of his own. Assuming no additional injuries occur, Harris would become the fifth left-handed defenseman on the active roster. Still, given that the Bruins have struggled to remain healthy, primarily on defense, being limited to a depth role is far from guaranteed for Harris.