The Boston Bruins announced today that forward Elias Lindholm has been placed on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Bruins recalled defenseman Jordan Harris from his conditioning loan with their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Lindholm has been out since Jan. 27 with an upper-body injury, costing him two games. While Lindholm would technically be eligible to return for the Bruins’ game Thursday against the Blue Jackets, it appears highly unlikely he’ll be back before the Olympic break begins.
Replacing Lindholm on Boston’s roster is Harris. The 25-year-old underwent ankle surgery in October after playing in just five games for the Bruins, and missed a few months before his conditioning stint in the AHL began on Jan. 22. Harris played in four AHL games in Providence, scoring three points.
Back at full health, the rest of the season will be very significant for Harris given the time he’s missed. He’s slated to be an RFA with arbitration rights this upcoming summer, when his one-year, one-way $825K contract expires. Finding a way to land a consistent role on the Bruins defense will be key for him to position himself to earn the best possible contract in the summer.
Harris had built quite a bit of positive developmental momentum early in his career, earning himself an NHL role quickly after signing with the Montreal Canadiens at the conclusion of his four-year NCAA career. He was able to show some flashes as a third-pairing defenseman in Montreal, and it’s worth noting that this conditioning stint in Boston was actually Harris’ first trip to the AHL. But he was unable to gain traction with the Columbus Blue Jackets after his inclusion in the Patrik Laine trade, and landed in Boston after being non-tendered by Columbus.
There was some hope that he’d be able to pick up where he left off in Montreal now as a member of his hometown team, but the injury scuttled any chance of that happening earlier in the year. Now healthy, that opportunity is in front of him once again.