- Bruins winger Pat Maroon skated for the first time yesterday as he continues his rehab from back surgery, relays Steve Conroy of The Boston Globe. He underwent the procedure six weeks ago but is still a ways from returning; head coach Jim Montgomery termed Maroon as still being week-to-week. Boston picked up the 35-year-old at the trade deadline from Minnesota after Maroon put up 16 points and 71 hits in 49 games before the surgery.
Bruins Rumors
Brad Marchand Questionable Saturday With Undisclosed Injury
- Bruins captain Brad Marchand is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Flyers after he was absent from today’s practice for maintenance purposes, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. The 35-year-old had been on a hot streak, picking up eight points in his last seven games. He’s on pace to finish below a point per game for a second straight season after doing so every year from 2016-17 to 2021-22, and his possession metrics have also dipped considerably without the now-retired Patrice Bergeron centering his line. He remains the Bruins’ top secondary talent to David Pastrňák, though, and is the team’s second-leading scorer with 27 goals and 62 points in 71 games.
Bruins Sign Michael DiPietro To An Extension
Shoring up some of their organizational goaltending depth for next season, the Boston Bruins announced they have signed goalie Michael DiPietro to a one-year, $775K two-way contract for the 2024-25 season. This extension will take DiPietro to his third season with the Bruins organization.
DiPietro was originally acquired by Boston two years ago, coming over from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Jack Studnicka. Once a top goaltending prospect in Vancouver’s system, injuries limited DiPietro’s development leading to the eventual trade to the Bruins.
After some exceptional years with the Windsor Spitfires, DiPietro played well for the Utica Comets once joining the Canucks organization, but his inability to play in nearly the entirety of the 2021-22 AHL season, coupled with the emergency of Thatcher Demko, led to his movement out of British Columbia. DiPietro’s downward trend continued, as the Bruins opted to play him with their ECHL affiliate last season, the Maine Mariners.
Nevertheless, DiPietro has rebounded nicely this season for the Providence Bruins and has helped put them in a comfortable position to make the playoffs in the AHL’s Atlantic Division. On the year in Providence, DiPietro has produced a 17-8-0 record in 26 games, coupled with a .917 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average.
Although he has not become the goaltender that the Canucks were hoping he would be, there may be an opportunity for DiPietro to crack the Bruins’ roster as soon as next season. With the team having attempted to trade Linus Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings at this year’s trade deadline, it appears that Boston is adamant about trading one of their All-Star goaltenders, giving DiPietro an opening to make the team at next year’s training camp.
Afternoon Notes: Bischel, Marner, Lyubushkin, Regenda
The Boston Bruins have returned to the well in South Bend, signing the University of Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel to a one-year, minor-league contract that begins next season. Bischel joins the Providence Bruins just one week after Notre Dame teammate Drew Bavaro signed a deal with the team. Bavaro – who signed an amateur try-out for the rest of this season, in addition to a one-year deal next season – has since played in the first two AHL games of his career, recording one penalty and two shots. Boston also acquired former Notre Dame captain Andrew Peeke at the Trade Deadline, sending Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins are landing one of the top NCAA free agents in Bischel, who is a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season after winning the award last year. The 24-year-old netminder has served as Notre Dame’s full-time starter over the last two seasons, recording a combined 31 wins and .928 save percentage. He’s been dazzling for the Fighting Irish, earning the eighth-most wins and seventh-best save percentage in program history over his five years in Indiana.
Bischel now joins a Bruins goalie room filled with great talent, including reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, William M. Jennings Trophy batterymate Jeremy Swayman, and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi. The Bruins reportedly tried to move Ullmark at the Deadline, though the esteemed netminder invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. Boston could be poised to revisit those trade talks this summer, after bolstering their depth charts with this move.
Other notes from around the league:
- Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful for the team’s Tuesday game against Philadelphia, per head coach Sheldon Keefe (Twitter Link), who shares that Lyubushkin is battling illness. Keefe also shared that star forward Mitch Marner continues to carry a day-to-day designation and won’t join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Marner has missed Toronto’s last three games with a high ankle sprain, while Lyubushkin may exit the lineup after battling through an undisclosed injury, and questionable designation, for the team’s Saturday game.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Pavol Regenda back to the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan on March 12th. Regenda played in four NHL games on the recall, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He also managed four blocks, six shots on net, and 10 hits. The matchups bring Regenda to 19 career NHL games, though the one goal and three points he managed in 14 games last season stand as his only scoring. The 24-year-old winger also has 16 goals and 29 points in 39 AHL games this season.
Montgomery Believes Lohrei Is Up For The Rest Of The Season
- While the Bruins papered Mason Lohrei back to AHL Providence to keep him eligible to play down there for the stretch run, that may not happen. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he feels the young blueliner will be up for the rest of the season. The 23-year-old has done well in his first pro campaign, getting into 39 games with Boston so far where he has a dozen points along with 61 blocks while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night.
Curtis Hall Loaned To AHL Grand Rapids
- The Red Wings recalled defenseman Jared McIsaac from his loan in Switzerland and moved him to Boston’s farm team in exchange for center Curtis Hall. McIsaac had four points in 15 games for Grand Rapids and suited up just three times with Ambri-Piotta. Hall, meanwhile, has been fairly productive in limited action with the Bruins’ affiliate, notching six points in a dozen appearances. Both players are restricted free agents with arbitration rights this summer and if the swap works well, the two teams could execute it at the NHL level in the summer.
Snapshots: Bruins, Perry, Johnson
The NCAA free agency frenzy has kicked off and the Boston Bruins could be in the mix for one of the top names, with the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter sharing that the team is interested in Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel. Bischel has been with the Fighting Irish for the last five seasons, confidently taking over the team’s starting role over the last two. And he’s been tremendous with the opportunity, posting 16 wins and a .931 save percentage in 37 games last season and 15 wins and a .924 in 36 games this year. He managed his high marks while facing an average of 33 shots against each game this season. The performances have earned Bischel plenty of recognition, getting named a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season, after winning the award last year.
Goaltending has been a major sore spot for countless teams this year and any team in need of goaltending depth is likely trying to find out their chances of signing Bischel. That could make it hard for Boston – who already boasts fantastic depth with Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman, and Brandon Bussi – to find an advantage in negotiations. But Bischel’s addition could be aptly timed, with Boston also entertaining trading Ullmark around the Trade Deadline. How NCAA free agency negotiations play out could go a long way toward determining what the Bruins want to do next.
Other notes from around the league:
- The NHL, NHLPA, Chicago Blackhawks, and Corey Perry have reached a settlement relating to Perry’s termination from the Blackhawks on November 29th, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Rather than have Perry file a grievance with the league, the two sides agreed to a financial settlement. Perry signed with the Edmonton Oilers on January 22nd and has since scored five goals and seven points in 20 games with the Canadian club. This settlement marks a success in the Player’s Association’s protection of guaranteed contracts.
- Chicago Blackhawks forward Reese Johnson has entered concussion protocol and didn’t practice with the team on Thursday, per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. Johnson has been a routine depth forward for Chicago, scoring five points in 42 games. It’s his second season of full-time NHL action, after posting four goals and six points in 57 games last year. Rookie Landon Slaggert is set to make his NHL debut in Johnson’s absence, joining Chicago after the conclusion of Notre Dame’s season.
Matt Grelczyk, James Van Riemsdyk Out With Illness
- The Bruins could be without defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and winger James van Riemsdyk due to illness against the Canadiens on Thursday, head coach Jim Montgomery said (via Ty Anderson of 98.5 FM The Sports Hub). Grzelcyk has already been ruled out, while van Riemsdyk is a possibility. The latter’s absence at Wednesday’s practice necessitated the emergency recall of 2019 first-round pick John Beecher from AHL Providence for the second time in three days. Grzlecyk’s absence paves the way for Andrew Peeke, acquired Friday from the Blue Jackets for Jakub Zbořil and a 2027 third-round pick, to make his Boston debut on the third pairing alongside Parker Wotherspoon.
Bruins Recall John Beecher On Emergency Loan
March 13: The Bruins have again recalled Beecher from AHL Providence on an emergency basis, GM Don Sweeney announced Wednesday. Beecher was returned to Providence yesterday after being a last-minute scratch for Monday’s 5-1 win over the Penguins. Since his initial recall was also under emergency conditions, the Bruins have retained all of their four post-deadline recalls. Today’s recall comes as winger James van Riemsdyk is absent from practice for undisclosed reasons, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.
March 11: The Boston Bruins have recalled forward John Beecher from the minor leagues, per the AHL Transaction logs. Beecher has been in the AHL since mid-January, appearing in 17 games and scoring eight points – split evenly – with the Providence Bruins.
Beecher, 22, was a training camp surprise, making the Bruins opening roster alongside fellow rookie Matthew Poitras. He made his NHL Debut in Boston’s season-opener, recording his first penalty and his first fight. He’s since played in 39 NHL games, scoring five goals and seven points – and managing a modest 15 penalty minutes after carrying seven out of game one. He’s still searching for his scoring groove at the professional level, after managing just 23 points in 61 games as an AHL rookie last season. Though scoring has never been Beecher’s forté, with the centerman totaling 39 points in 81 games during his three years at the University of Michigan. His positives are instead more nuanced, with Beecher managing an impressive 53.9 faceoff percentage as an NHL rookie and averaging 2.23 hits-per-game.
This move spends one of Boston’s four remaining recalls and brings their roster back to a full 23. Beecher will likely serve as a depth forward, rotating in with Justin Brazeau and Marc McLaughlin. His presence is much-needed, as the Bruins currently carry forward Pat Maroon, Milan Lucic, and Poitras on their injured reserve.
Bruins Sign Drew Bavaro To One-Year Contract
The Boston Bruins have engaged the NCAA free agent market, signing Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro to a one-year entry-level contract, per Mark Divver with the New England Hockey Journal. Bavaro is signing as an undrafted free agent. Divver adds that the deal will begin next season, with Bavaro slated to join the AHL’s Providence Bruins on an amateur try-out for the rest of the season. This move comes after Notre Dame was eliminated from the postseason this weekend, after a 4-3 loss to the University of Michigan. Bavaro scored the first goal of that game, his 10th goal of the season.
This was Bavaro’s second season with the Fighting Irish, after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Bentley University. He proved effective at both schools, recording a collegiate-high 27 points in 36 games with Bentley during the 2021-22 season and totaling a combined 78 points in 124 NCAA games. He’s a very quick-moving defenseman, with sharp edgework and good all-direction speed. That helps him get involved in all three zones, and catch opponents flat-footed. But Bavaro will need to improve on consistently making the right decision with the puck and not getting pulled too far out of position. The right-shot defender spent portions of this season on the left-side, speaking to his adaptability.
Bavaro isn’t the first Notre Dame skater to sign an NHL deal, with Landon Slaggert signing his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks quickly after the Fighting Irish’s season ended. Slaggert led Notre Dame in scoring this season, netting 20 goals and 31 points in 36 games. The Blackhawks drafted Slaggert in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He currently sits on Chicago’s NHL roster, likely to make his NHL debut soon.