The Bruins won’t have defenseman Nikita Zadorov available to them tonight as they continue their road trip in Anaheim. Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald relays that the blueliner has returned home to tend to a family matter. No timeline for a possible return was given as interim head coach Joe Sacco would only confirm that Zadorov would miss this game. The 29-year-old is in his first season in Boston after signing a six-year, $30MM deal last summer, one that has had some ups and downs. Zadorov has 17 points along with 183 hits and a league-leading 135 penalty minutes in 72 outings this season while logging a career-high 20:33 per game. Zadorov joins Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm as out for this one, meaning Boston’s three highest-paid defenders won’t be in their lineup.
Elsewhere in the East:
- After clearing waivers on trade deadline day nearly three weeks ago, Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves reported to the Marlies on Tuesday and skated with the team for the first time, notes Nick Barden of The Hockey News. The 38-year-old didn’t see much action with the big club this season, playing in just 35 games, logging less than eight minutes a night when he did suit up while only collecting two assists and 103 hits. It’s unclear if Reaves will actually play with the Marlies or if he’s just going to practice with them. Reaves last saw action in the AHL back in 2010-11 with Peoria, the affiliate of St. Louis at the time.
- Lehigh Valley, the AHL affiliate of the Flyers, announced that they’ve signed winger Alex Ciernik to a tryout agreement. The 20-year-old was a third-round pick back in 2023, going 83rd overall. Ciernik spent this season with Nybro in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan and had a decent showing, notching 11 goals and 12 assists, good for fifth on the team in scoring. Ciernik doesn’t have a contract overseas next season nor has he signed an entry-level deal so he’ll be hoping that a good showing with the Phantoms could earn him a contract from Philadelphia in the weeks to come.