Boston Bruins: Alexander Khokhlachev Running Out Of Time
Boston Bruins: Alexander Khokhlachev Running Out Of Time
The Boston Bruins have given Alexander Khokhlachev a few chances to show why he deserves an opportunity to play with the big club on a consistent basis and he’s failed each and every time.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
It’s hard to judge a player based off of such a small sample size, but when a player with the talent that Alexander Khokhlachev possesses doesn’t force Don Sweeney and Claude Julien to keep him in the lineup, the small sample size is justified. In 22 games in the AHL this season, Alexander Khokhlachev has nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 22 games. His numbers have been very impressive in Providence so far this season, but he simply hasn’t been able to make the jump to the NHL.
Live Feed
Puck Prose
Khokhlachev has a total of nine games in the NHL, five of which have come during the 2015-16, two alongside David Krejci and Loui Eriksson who were red hot at the time, and one in a top-nine role at the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. When players are given a chance to prove their worth to a team’s management, they are typically given nine games to do so, as to not interfere with their contract sliding into the next season. In his nine games in the NHL, Alexander Khokhlachev has scored zero goals, he’s assisted on zero goals, and he holds a zero plus/minus rating as well as two penalty minutes. In other words, the young Russian forward has been invisible for essentially every minute of his time spent on the Boston Bruins.
More from Causeway Crowd
- Harrison, Toporowski shine in Prospects Challenge
- Obscure former Boston Bruins: Steven Kampfer
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins release full “Historic 100” list ahead of season
- McAvoy, Lucic named to “Historic 100” list over the weekend
With the Boston Bruins hurting so much at the center position so far this season with David Krejci, Chris Kelly, and Jonas Kemppainen all out with injuries for varying lengths of time, the team was looking for Alexander Khokhlachev to not only step in and help plug a hole, but to make an impact. The result was less than flattering at the Winter Classic game with Khokhlachev playing a total of 5:51 in the game, and not registering a shot, a plus/minus rating, or a point.
The Boston Bruins don’t play another game until January 5th, and David Pastrnak should be returning to the Boston Bruins lineup somewhere around that time, whether it be for that game against the Capitals, or the following game against the New Jersey Devils. With that in mind, Alexander Khokhlachev‘s opportunities are seemingly going to be minimal barring any other injuries suffered by another Boston Bruins player in the future.
Next: Things To Look Forward To In 2016 For Bruins
The biggest contribution Alexander Khokhlachev might provide to the Bruins will be the return he demands in a trade some time around the NHL Trade Deadline should the Bruins decide that he no longer fits in their future plans. It can’t be said for certain what kind of return the Bruins will get for Khokhlachev as a result of his day-and-night AHL/NHL statistics, or whether or not it will be as a part of a bigger package, but the Bruins should certainly explore their options.
Follow Brandon Share-Cohen on Twitter @BShareCohen to discuss all things Bruins and sports