- Boston Bruins forward David Krejci will miss at least the next few days with an upper-body injury. He now appears on the Bruins injured reserve list, meaning he’ll miss seven days since his last game. Still, head coach Jim Montgomery said that his veteran center will be traveling with the club and shouldn’t be out too long.
Bruins Rumors
Boston Bruins Return Jakub Lauko To AHL
Forward Jakub Lauko, who the Boston Bruins sent down to the Providence Bruins on Tuesday, and was recalled yesterday afternoon back to Boston, has been reassigned from his loan back to Providence.
It’s been a hectic few days for the young forward, at least on paper, but not necessarily surprising, given the 22-year-old does not need waivers to go to the AHL. With superstar winger Brad Marchand returning to the lineup Thursday evening, Boston made clear he would not play back-to-back games, which was exactly the situation yesterday evening. Now down a man (of their own volition), Boston brought Lauko up for last night’s game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Lauko is yet to play a game for Providence this season but has recorded one assist in five games for Boston thus far.
Boston’s 77th overall selection in 2018, Lauko blow the doors off his expectations in camp after a rough 2021-22 season in Providence. He hasn’t looked entirely out-of-place in the NHL either, especially for a player who has a remarkably low 5.9% offensive zone start rate in all situations.
Pastrnak Extension Talks Continuing Regularly, Bruins Unsure Where They're Sending DiPietro Yet
- Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media (video link) on Thursday following their trade with Vancouver. Sweeney acknowledged that discussions with winger David Pastrnak about a contract extension continue on a regular basis but that they have not yet “found the endpoint”. The 26-year-old is off to a hot start with 15 points in eight games to start the season and is set to land a significant raise on his current $6.667MM AAV, one that could push his cap hit near or past the $10MM mark.
Boston Bruins Recall Jakub Lauko
The Boston Bruins have announced a roster move today, calling up forward Jakub Lauko from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Lauko, 22, was sent to Providence a few days ago and now returns having not played in a game for the AHL squad. Lauko has gotten into four games for the Bruins this season and has one assist.
A third-round pick at the 2018 NHL draft, Lauko has impressed so far this season and should be one of the Bruins’ depth forwards/priority call-ups this year.
Before this season, Lauko had spent parts of three seasons paying his dues as a hard-working two-way player in Providence. Lauko’s scoring numbers took a bit of a dive last season, going from 19 points in 23 games in 2020-21 to 16 points in 54 games in 2021-22. But his speed, energy level, and work ethic remained despite that drop in production. It’s those traits that have earned him this call-up, and will likely be the reason that he gets chances in the NHL moving forward.
Vancouver Canucks Acquire Jack Studnicka
It’s been a busy day in Vancouver. Not only have the Vancouver Canucks placed a player on long-term injured reserve and another on regular injured reserve, they have also completed a trade.
As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired center Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins. In exchange, the Canucks are sending goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg. The trade has now been made official.
Studnicka, 23, leaves the Bruins having occupied a place on their roster bubble so far this season. He has appeared in just one game this year, and split time last season between the Bruins and the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Studnicka was formerly one of the Bruins’ top prospects, having been an exceptional junior scorer, quality AHL scorer, and 2017 second-round pick.
Studnicka has proven himself at the AHL level, and last season he had 35 points in 41 games there. It’s success at the NHL level that’s eluded him, and he has struggled to make an impact at the game’s highest level in the chances he’s been offered.
He’ll head to a Vancouver team currently looking for any sort of sign of life to cling onto. The team is seeking its first win of the season, and perhaps the Canucks believe that they can figure out what’s kept Studnicka’s AHL scoring success from translating to the NHL level.
The Canucks’ top-nine is currently filled with players who are more accomplished than Studnicka, but it’s possible the Canucks could use him in Nils Hoglander’s top-nine slot if Hoglander is moved this season.
For Boston, moving Studnicka clears a spot on the team’s 23-man roster, a spot that could go to Mike Reilly, who was sent down earlier today.
In trading Studnicka, the Bruins are ending a developmental project that once held significant promise. In return, the team is receiving two players who represent developmental projects of their own.
The first player they are receiving in return is Myrenberg, a 2021 fifth-round pick. Myrenberg is a right-shot defenseman currently playing for Mora in the Allsvenskan, the second division of Swedish pro hockey. The second player they are receiving is the goaltender DiPietro, a goalie prospect who was once held in high regard across the league.
The Bruins will have until the summer of 2025 to determine if they want to sign Myrenberg to an entry-level deal, meaning he will have a long developmental runway to work with. As for DiPietro, the developmental pathway will be a bit more condensed. The Bruins currently have Keith Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser manning the crease for AHL Providence, and both are performing well. This makes DiPietro’s fit in the Bruins organization not immediately clear.
While the implications of this trade for both organizations will be, in all likelihood, minor, each player involved still has room to grow into something more than they are currently. So while this deal might seem relatively insignificant at the moment, it will definitely be an interesting one to track moving forward.
Boston Bruins Activate Brad Marchand
4:35 PM: The Bruins have now made Marchand’s return official. Per the team release, Marchand has been activated off of injured reserve.
In a corresponding move, the Bruins have assigned defenseman Mike Reilly to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, clearing the open roster spot needed to facilitate Marchand’s return. Reilly has previously cleared waivers and will head to Providence having played in all seven of the Bruins’ games this season. Reilly has one assist in those seven games and is playing on a $3MM cap hit that expires in the summer of 2024.
10:19 AM: It was all a ruse, apparently. After telling reporters just yesterday that Brad Marchand wasn’t ready to return, head coach Jim Montgomery has informed reporters including Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal that the veteran winger will indeed play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Marchand won’t travel with the team for tomorrow’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they ease him into the lineup.
Marchand, 34, was originally scheduled to be out until Thanksgiving, meaning his return tonight is a month ahead of the original plan. It did seem as though they were ready for this when he skated yesterday on the top line, powerplay unit, and even led the stretch.
While he may not be playing in both halves of a back-to-back for the next little while, getting Marchand back in the mix is a huge boost for the Bruins, who are already playing well. The team is 6-1 through the early part of the season and has an early grip on the top of the Atlantic Division. Adding a player who has had six straight seasons of production well over a point per game should only help the team continue to dominate.
The team will have to make a corresponding roster move to activate Marchand, and it isn’t entirely clear what that will be. Nick Foligno and Mike Reilly did clear waivers earlier this month, but otherwise, there aren’t any players who are exempt.
Brad Marchand Ahead Of Schedule; Should Play By Thanksgiving
There was plenty of excitement around the Boston Bruins when Brad Marchand took reps on the first line and powerplay this morning, even leading the team stretch. But the star winger isn’t going to be coming back just yet.
The Bruins will still play it a little slow with Marchand, and while he is ahead of schedule, isn’t getting into the lineup just yet. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that the Bruins expect Marchand to play before Thanksgiving, his original timeline.
Boston Bruins Activate Brandon Carlo; Send Jakub Lauko To AHL
The Boston Bruins have Brandon Carlo back, activating him from his latest stint on injured reserve with a concussion. To make room on the active roster, Jakub Lauko has been assigned to the AHL.
It’s good news for both Carlo and the Bruins that the 25-year-old was able to come back, having missed only a handful of games with this latest head injury. It is the fifth (documented) concussion that Carlo has had since entering the league. The big defenseman will skate next to Mike Reilly tonight as he makes his return against the Dallas Stars.
Unfortunately for Lauko, he’s a victim of contract status this time around. The young forward was the only waiver-exempt player on the roster, though there were other options the Bruins could have moved out. Reilly and Nick Foligno both have time left on their clock after clearing waivers earlier this month, meaning they could have been re-assigned instead. That wasn’t likely, but it was possible if they wanted to keep the 22-year-old in the lineup.
Lauko has been rather good so far in limited minutes, even if he does have only one point to show for it. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by A.J. Greer, who was made a healthy scratch even after his five-point start to the season. The 25-year-old has averaged just over ten minutes a night in the games he has played and will be on the fourth line with Foligno and Tomas Nosek tonight.
Brandon Carlo Confirms Concussion; Getting Closer To Return
- Brandon Carlo was back on the ice today practicing in a regular jersey, and head coach Jim Montgomery said he was “getting close” to a return. He also said that he’ll be cautious with the big defender though, as Carlo confirmed he suffered another concussion – his fifth since entering the NHL in 2016 – against the Arizona Coyotes last week. He’s been out since then, and the Bruins will do everything they can to make sure he is at no further risk before he re-enters the lineup.
Boston Bruins Return Daniel Renouf To AHL
October 18: According to the AHL’s transactions page for today, the Bruins returned Renouf to AHL Providence. The move indicates that defenseman Anton Stralman’s visa issues are resolved and he can make his Bruins debut tonight in Ottawa.
October 16: The Boston Bruins defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-3 yesterday, a win that put the team on a 2-0 start to this young season and new coach Jim Montgomery’s tenure. But while it was a convincing victory, it wasn’t without a cost. Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo took a hit from Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien late in the first period, and he did not return. Now, it seems Carlo could be out for some time.
Per CapFriendly, Carlo has been placed on injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the Bruins announced that defenseman Daniel Renouf has been recalled from the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Renouf, 28, has 23 career NHL games to his name and spent most of last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, save for four games spent as an injury fill-in for the Detroit Red Wings.
Carlo’s absence is undoubtedly a blow to the Bruins, who are looking to extend this hot start for as long as possible. While Renouf is an experienced AHL veteran, he is a clear downgrade from Carlo, who is a highly capable defensive defenseman.
What makes this easier on Boston is that Anton Stralman is likely to be the one who will fill Carlo’s role as the right-shot top-pairing partner for Hampus Lindholm. Stralman has extensive NHL experience and should be a stylistic fit as a Carlo replacement.
While the exact nature of Carlo’s injury is unknown, Carlo did take the hit from O’Brien to his upper body. Carlo does have a history of concussion issues, so one has to hope that this current injury is simply a minor one that won’t pose any longer-term issues for Carlo’s health and ability to get back onto the ice.