Bruins' Tanner Jeannot Out With Undisclosed Injury
- The Sabres’ opponent tonight, the Boston Bruins, will be playing somewhat shorthanded up front. The NHL’s Heather Engel shared earlier that forward Tanner Jeannot will miss tonight’s game with an undisclosed injury, and there’s no word on how long he’s expected to miss. Jeannot, who signed a five-year, $17MM contract with the Bruins last summer, has played surprisingly well this season, scoring four goals and 15 points in 38 games while throwing 113 hits.
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Bruins Reassign Victor Soderstrom
In the middle of their game tonight, the Boston Bruins announced that Victor Söderström has been assigned to AHL Providence.
The defenseman has been with the big club since a call-up in early December, as a result of their numerous injuries on the back end. However, with Boston scooping up his former Arizona teammate, Vladislav Kolyachonok, off waivers last week, the right-handed Söderström is headed back down despite playing in the team’s last five games. Meanwhile, Kolyachonok is making his team debut, bringing a left shot, size, and stronger defensive play to the table.
Söderström, a former first round pick (11th overall), chose not to partake in the inaugural season of the Utah Mammoth, rather inking a two-year deal in Sweden. Even being on the rebuilding Coyotes in their twilight years, Söderström spent more time in the AHL, never breaking through at the highest level. His rights were traded to Chicago, and the defender promptly made a strong case to return to North America, after putting up 37 points in 49 games, even earning Swedish Defensemen of the Year honors.
Despite the success, Söderström chose not to sign with the Blackhawks, and his rights were flipped to Boston last summer. He was unable to make the team out of camp, clearing waivers, but played well with Providence, getting a look this month due to the team’s several injured blueliners. In a more limited deployment, Söderström had just one assist in eight games. As mentioned above, the acquisition of Kolyachonok bumped him out of the lineup, and the 24-year-old will provide a big boost for Providence, who are rolling with a 20-5-1 record.
Once thought to be among the very best defensemen in the 2019 draft, as a safe pick with top four upside, Söderström was selected ahead of players such as Cam York and Thomas Harley. As it has turned out, 2019’s first round was extremely hit or miss on defensemen. While such higher aspirations are now in the past, Söderström will make a case to remain in North America this season on an expiring deal, and if not, the Swede figures to have an opportunity to return home and be a star in his back pocket.
Bruins Reportedly Interested In Kiefer Sherwood
The trade market for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood is beginning to materialize and will likely continue growing leading up to the trade deadline. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have “kicked the tires” on Sherwood.
He’s remarkably affordable for what he provides, too. Especially for teams like the Bruins, Lightning, Senators, and Stars, who are close to the upper limit of the salary cap, Sherwood’s $1.5MM salary is easily absorbable.
Bruins Claim Vladislav Kolyachonok Off Waivers
The Bruins have claimed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Stars, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Kolyachonok, 24, was exposed by Dallas yesterday amid a roster crunch that saw them carrying eight defensemen, five of them lefties – including Kolyachonok. He had cleared waivers successfully to begin the season after being acquired from the Penguins last summer in the Mathew Dumba trade. However, he’d played more than 10 games since being recalled in November in the wake of multiple injuries to Dallas’ defense corps, so they needed to place him on waivers a second time if they wanted to send him back to the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Boston will be Kolyachonok’s fifth NHL stop and sixth organization overall. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round in 2019 but never played for them, instead debuting for the Coyotes in 2021-22. He made the move to Utah and got some games there before they lost him on waivers to the Penguins last season.
While already racking up an impressive journeyman resume, his frequent appearance on the transaction wire indicates many teams remain intrigued by the 6’2″ lefty’s two-way upside. He’s generally put up fine possession numbers in limited NHL minutes, topping things off with a 5-12–17 scoring line and a -4 rating in 85 career appearances. In 11 games for Dallas since his call-up last month, he had one goal, two assists, a +4 rating, and controlled a team-high 51.2% of shot attempts at even strength.
He now joins a Boston defense group that has a regular in Henri Jokiharju on injured reserve and multiple other depth names – Michael Callahan, Jordan Harris, and Jonathan Aspirot, there with him. Aspirot was moved there today to open the roster spot for Kolyachonok’s claim, already missing one game with an upper-body injury. He’s been ruled out for tonight’s game as a result, but could come off IR for Thursday’s game against the Oilers if he’s ready to return.
If Kolyachonok wants to finally land an everyday job in an NHL lineup, though, he’ll need to get comfortable playing on his off side. Boston’s three left-shot options are locked in as Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, and Nikita Zadorov each feature on their own pairings. With a righty in Jokiharju and a lefty who routinely plays the right side in Aspirot sidelined, though, there’s an opening for him to leapfrog Victor Söderström for playing time and get into the Bruins’ lineup.
Kolyachonok is in the back half of a two-year, league-minimum deal, so Boston’s only on the hook for a $775K cap hit and salary. He’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason with arbitration rights.
Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.
Bruins Without Viktor Arvidsson, Jonathan Aspirot On Sunday
The Boston Bruins will be down a pair of players in today’s match against the Minnesota Wild. Winger Viktor Arvidsson (lower-body) and defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (upper-body) are both expected to sit out after sustaining injuries in Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Both were absent from Saturday’s practice.
Arvidsson missed seven games with a lower-body injury in late November. It isn’t yet clear if that injury is connected to the one that forced him out early on Thursday. Boston would sorely miss Arvidsson should he be forced into another extended absence. The 32-year-old winger has seven goals and 14 points in 25 games this season. He’s offered reliable depth scoring, usually operating on the second or third line.
Aspirot exited Thursday’s game in the first period. It was just the 19th game of his NHL career, which kicked off with a debut on October 28th. Aspirot hadn’t managed any scoring, unti lhe scored his first career goal on December 2nd. That stands as his only point, to go with 28 shot blocks and 32 hits. He has served a bottom-pair role, but has been rotated up to top-line minutes when Boston needs to hold a lead. His responsible defense will be sorely missing from the lineup.
The Bruins clarified that no recalls will be made in light of these injuries. That means Boston will bring in winger Michael Eyssimont and defender Victor Söderström to fill their gaps. Eyssimont has 12 points and a minus-eight in 30 appearances this season. He has continued to serve as a well-rounded, bottom-line forward. Söderström is hoping to push into a full-time, NHL role for the first time since the 2022-23 season – when he played 30 games with the Arizona Coyotes. He has one assist and a plus-three in three appearances with the Bruins. He brings smooth puck-movement, which could boost Boston’s offense in place of the defense-focuse Aspirot.
Latest On Aspirot, Arvidsson
A potentially large blow has hit the Maple Leafs, as defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited tonight’s game versus San Jose due to a lower-body injury, as shared by TSN Sports. The veteran had to be helped off the ice and did not return, as the Leafs fell in overtime to San Jose. Postgame, Head Coach Craig Berube told David Alter of the Hockey News that he will need further evaluation.
Ekman-Larsson was tangled up with Sharks forward Adam Gaudette, who appeared to land on the Leafs blueliner’s leg awkwardly. Now 34, the Swede has turned back the clock this season, serving as a vital top pairing defender for Toronto. He has especially stepped up with Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo absent, putting up 20 points in 29 games, and quietly dependable in every situation.
In fear of the worst, updates on Ekman-Larsson will be watched urgently. The Leafs are back in action on Saturday as they host the Oilers, in need of points if they will claw their way back up a deep Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The Boston Bruins welcomed back Charlie McAvoy tonight, but lost a pair of skaters mid-game to lower-body injuries, as Jonathan Aspirot left (Twitter link), along with Victor Arvidsson. (Twitter link). Aspirot has been a steady defender, breaking through with Boston this season for his first NHL action at age 26. Originally undrafted, he has one goal in 18 games. Arvidsson also exited quietly, not coming out for the third period, but appeared shaken up in his last shift. Having just been activated from a lower-body injury on December 2, the feisty undersized winger has unfortunately dealt with many injuries since his 34-goal breakout in 2018-19.
- Senators forward Lars Eller did not return tonight in Columbus after an apparent lower-body injury, per the team, with no further updates. The 36-year-old appeared to be bothered after blocking a shot. Despite his age, Eller has mostly been durable for Ottawa, skating in 28 games, and notching six points as a steady fourth-line center.
Bruins Activate Charlie McAvoy
Charlie McAvoy is making a quicker return to action than anyone expected. The Bruins announced he’s been activated from injured reserve, putting him in the lineup tonight against the Jets, less than a month after major facial surgery as a result of taking a puck to the face. Boston has been operating with an open roster spot for several days, so no corresponding move is required.
The B’s have been without their top defensemen for the last 11 games. That coincided with a 6-5-0 record, boosted by an active three-game winning streak, showing up in a big way to keep themselves in the Atlantic Division playoff race while he was out. Regaining his two-way versatility is a major boon to a Boston team that’s been one of the worst 5-on-5 possession teams in the league.
McAvoy is without a goal this year but racked up 14 assists in 19 games before needing surgery, and he’s the only Boston defenseman with a positive shot differential (157-156) at 5-on-5. For a forward group that struggles to generate offense from its depth ranks, having his playmaking ability on the back end is crucial as well. Those 14 points still have him tops among Bruins rearguards and fifth on the team in scoring.
His pairing with Nikita Zadorov has been Boston’s best, both in controlling play and on the defensive end. They lead the team with a 56.7 xGF% and 1.78 xGA/60 at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck (min. 100 minutes). That xGA/60 figure is third in the league. Jonathan Aspirot, a 26-year-old rookie, has gotten most of the reps alongside Zadorov in McAvoy’s absence. The 6’0″ lefty has done a good job on his offside with a +8 rating in 18 appearances, although a 47.6% shot share and 43.8% expected goal share at 5-on-5 point toward that figure being inflated due to Jeremy Swayman‘s stellar goaltending.
With Henri Jokiharju and depth options Michael Callahan and Jordan Harris on injured reserve, McAvoy’s return is all the more important for Boston’s banged-up defense corps. Victor Söderström, who has one assist and a +3 rating in three games since being recalled from AHL Providence last week, is expected to be the odd man out while Aspirot stays in.
McAvoy’s conditioning will be something to keep an eye on. He still can’t eat solid food until the six-week mark after the surgery, and he told reporters late last week that he lost nearly 20 pounds in only a week and a half following surgery. They’ve found out a regimen to get some of that weight back, but expecting him to continue shouldering a near-24-minute workload may be a stretch. As a result, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if the Bruins opted to dress seven defensemen at times in the coming days to limit his minutes.
Latest On David Pastrnak
The Boston Bruins are getting a huge boost tonight, as Conor Ryan of Boston.com shared that star forward David Pastrňák is returning versus St. Louis. It was speculated yesterday that he, as well as Charlie McAvoy, would come back at some point on the club’s road trip, and sure enough, Pastrňák slots back in on a line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov this evening.
The 29-year-old sniper posted 29 points in 25 games before going down with an undisclosed injury in late November. Without their go-to scorer, Boston went 3-2, and despite losing their two stars, the team remains firmly in the mix, currently third in the Atlantic. McAvoy proved unable to return today, but eyes will be on the defender later in the week, as the Bruins travel to Winnipeg for a Thursday matchup.
Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak Expected To Return On Road Trip
Unless something changes, the Boston Bruins will return their two top performers on their upcoming road trip. After an update from Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald, indicating that Charlie McAvoy shed the non-contact jersey for today’s practice, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reported that both McAvoy and David Pastrňák are expected to return over the next few days.
Even getting one of McAvoy or Pastrňák back would be a major boost to the Bruins. After McAvoy exited the lineup on November 15th after gruesomely taking a puck to the face, the team has gone 5-5-0. It’s been a little better without Pastrňák, as they’ve gone 3-2-0 in their last five.
Still, considering that Boston has unexpectedly moved into second place in the Atlantic Division, the team will want to have McAvoy and Pastrňák in the lineup as much as possible to qualify for a postseason spot. The Bruins are only two points removed from being out of a playoff spot, and have played more games than multiple teams in the Eastern Conference. Considering how wide-open the playoff race is this season, Boston has a legitimate opportunity to reach the postseason again, and McAvoy and Pastrňák will surely play a large role in that.
Craig Smith Announces Retirement
As expected, forward Craig Smith has hung up his skates after 14 years in the NHL. The Magnuson Hockey Agency, which represented Smith, announced the retirement.
Smith’s professional career began back in 2009, when he was selected with the 98th overall pick by the Nashville Predators. He spent two years following the draft playing for the NCAA’s University of Wisconsin, scoring 27 goals and 76 points in 82 games while being named the program’s captain in his second season.
Impressively, after a standout performance for Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World Championships, Smith jumped right to the NHL in the 2011-12 season with the Predators. He finished 12th in Calder Trophy voting that year, scoring 14 goals and 36 points in 72 games — good for eighth in scoring on the team.
Due to some injury troubles, Smith skated in four games for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, which would serve as the only AHL playing time Smith had throughout his career. Over the next eight years, Smith scored 148 goals and 294 points in 589 games with Nashville, averaging 14:57 of ice time in a middle-six role. He had a far lesser track record of success in the postseason, tallying seven goals and 16 points in 52 games from 2012 to 2020.
After his five-year, $21.25MM extension with Nashville concluded after the 2019-20 season, Smith reached free agency for the first time at 33 years old. Due to the pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith had to wait until mid-October to sign his next contract, which became a three-year, $9.3MM deal with the Boston Bruins.
He enjoyed a pair of relatively productive seasons with the Bruins before transitioning to a bottom-six role in his final season. In the last year of his deal, Smith was traded to the Washington Capitals in the trade that sent Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to New England.
The Madison, WI native would only sign two more NHL contracts after that trade — one with the Dallas Stars, and another with the Chicago Blackhawks before ultimately ending his career with the Detroit Red Wings. Smith finished his career with 220 goals and 452 points in 987 games, becoming the fifth-highest scoring Wisconsin-born player behind Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, Gary Suter, and Ryan Suter.
We at PHR congratulate Smith on a solid career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.