Mar 3, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Chris Kelly (23) takes a shot on goal while defended by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin (74) during the first period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

So the verdict is in, Chris Kelly’s injury is a broken tibia bone and will remain out indefinitely. This opens up a whole mess of problems for the Boston Bruins, with their Third Line Centre out and with the only two competent third lines being Jay Pandolfo and Rich Peverly, what can the Bruins do?

Making a trade would probably be the first option many people would think of, and as good as an idea that is.. there is cavalry on it’s way. Okay, waiting around for Carl Soderberg might not the best option for the Bruins right now but tacking on unnecessary salary while still having to sign Soderberg to a contract is probably not the best way to go. What this does, is open up more possibilities for Providence Bruins to get their chance with the big club, and there are three faces in particular we will probably be seeing rotating around until Soderberg shows up.

1. Jordan Caron

March 9, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn (5) and Boston Bruins right wing Jordan Caron (38) try to gain control of the puck during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

AHL Stats (G:10/ A:5 / GP: 44), NHL Stats (G: 0 / A: 1 / GP: 2)

Jordan Caron just recently came back from an injury and in 44 games with Providence this year has only registered 15 points. Now, many people would probably brush that off and pin it on the injury, but Jordan Caron has a history of under performance with Providence. Yes he has spent a good chunk of time up here in Boston when he got here in 2010-11, but for a kid who has been given chance after chance to preform with the big club, it’s time to just leave him in the AHL for good as a checking bottom 6 forward. I haven’t been a big supporter of Jordan Caron, I find his play to be overly physical and he tries to go for the big hits and big attacks but lets the puck squirt free of him everytime he does it. He certainly looks like he could be a great third line NHL forward, but he is going no where fast at the moment. He reminds me a lot of former Bruin Landon Wilson (1996 – 2000) , except where Landon Wilson knew how to rally around his Providence mates (this is exemplified by the 1998-99 P-Bruins Calder winning season) Jordan Caron is over achieving.. without actually achieving anything.

2. Chris Bourque

February 21, 2013; Tampa FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer (2) and Boston Bruins left wing Chris Bourque (48) go after the puck during the first period at Tampa Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

AHL Stats: (G:8 /A: 23/ GP: 35), NHL Stats (G: 1 / A: 4/ GP: 18)

Yes Chris Bourque will more than likely see another chance with the Bruins sometime this season. Bourque made the most of his play making ability in Providence this year almost a point a game pace. He currently sits with 31 points in 35 games, and had 4 points in 18 with Boston. Bourque was improving each and every game he played in Boston, especially with his stick handling and overall hockey sense. Yes, a good portion of his shots hit high glass but he knew how to move the puck around to Kelly and Peverly and was learning to make plays at the NHL level against guys twice his size. I can definitely see Bourque getting a second chance on the third line with Peverly and Pandolfo some time in the future.

3. Ryan Spooner

Feb 6, 2013; Montreal, QC, CAN; Boston Bruins forward Ryan Spooner (51) during the warmup period before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

AHL Stats: (G: 10 / A: 31 / GP: 47) / NHL Stats: (G: 0 / A: 0 / GP: 1 )

Ryan Spooner came out of his shell recently big time with the P-Bruins. He leads the team in points with 41 and is right now the hottest centre on that team behind Carter Camper. Spooner was given a one  game shot against the Habs when Brad Marchand was injured back in February, and he didn’t really see much playing time so it’s hard to form an opinion on how he was playing. If he continues his production in Providence at the rate he is, the Bruins will call him up again for another chance and he will probably see a lot more ice time. Spooner definitely has the potential to be a bottom 6 and maybe even a top 6 NHL forward in his future, and now is a perfect opportunity to prove that. Spooner may face a lot of the same problems as Chris Bourque did with his height, but I think he has it in him to deal with it and show a little fang when he needs to.

All stats (AHL and NHL) acquired from hockeydb.com

Mar 22, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Jordan Caron (38) before a face off against the San Jose Sharks during the second period at HP Pavilion. San Jose defeated Boston 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports

At least for now anyway, the Chris Bourque experiment appears to be over for the Boston Bruins. At noon on Friday, Bourque cleared waivers after being placed on them on Thursday. He then had a brief meeting with Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli before heading to Providence and he will dress for the Providence Bruins tonight.

Shortly after Bourque cleared waivers, the Bruins called up forward Jordan Caron. While it wasn’t the trade some of us were hoping for, at least the team “swapped” a pair of forwards.

In 45 games for the baby Bruins this season, Caron is a -6 with just 10 goals and 5 assists. Not exactly ripping it up but he has size with some skill and has shown in past performances with the big club that he can contribute at the NHL level. He has a pretty decent shot and is solid along the boards, he definitely brings a different skill-set than Bourque.

However, not everyone is entirely convinced that Caron’s stay will be very long with the Bruins and that they may even just be advertising him for a possible trade down the road. According to ESPN Boston’s Jimmy Murphy, Caron’s call-up might in fact just be a showcase and that the “dominoes to a Bruins trade could be starting to fall”.

Murphy went on to speculate that if Swedish sensation Carl Soderberg does come over to join the Bruins once his team is eliminated from the Swedish Elite League playoffs like many are reporting he will, that the Bruins would then have quite the logjam at center and that caron or any prospect combined with a roster player and a pick could net them a pretty nice return.

He also stated that if he was the Bruins he would “go all out to get Corey Perry if he hints that he will sign an extension with them”. Now, this could all just be healthy speculation but the more I read, the more I feel that a move could indeed be coming in the not too distant future.

Outside of Perry, there has also been plenty of rumors swirling about the Bruins possibly adding grizzled San Jose Sharks forward, Ryane Clowe and a few other names have been tossed around as well.

From Too Many Men on the Site: “Starting with the Boston Bruins, we posted earlier today that the Bruins are said to be scouting Ryan Clowe of the San Jose Sharks. Now, Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com feels the club needs to address their third line weaknesses, namely the lack of size and grit. While Clowe would be a terrific fit for the Bruins needs, Haggerty also drops names like Jarome Iginla of the Flames,Ryan Smyth of the Oilers and Brenden Morrow of the Stars.”

For now however, these are all nothing but some people talking and all that’s happened today is Chris Bourque will now be playing in Providence, while Jordan Caron gets another chance to show the Bruins (or a potential trade partner) what exactly he can bring to the table at the NHL level.

February 21, 2013; Tampa FL, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Chris Bourque (48) skates with the puck during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Tampa Times Forum. The Bruins won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“We’ve got a lot of guys now that need to be better for us, and that’s something we can all see,” head coach Claude Julien said. “Kelly was on the ice for three goals, one of which was that face-off play when he’s out there with [Patrice] Bergeron. But somehow if you’re not going to produce you need to be able to at least keep the puck out of your own net. Right now we’re not getting either from that line, so it’s a concern that we need to look at.”

Claude Julien’s second fiery talk in as many games told us something was coming. A line change that would be more permanent in nature. Julien breaking out the healthy scratch tool to get people in line. Perhaps sending someone down to Providence to motivate the rest of the squad. Well, today the Boston Bruins proved to us they weren’t just blowing smoke. They placed #48, Chris Bourque on waivers.

For those who don’t know, Chris is the son of Bruins great Raymond Bourque. The Bruins snagged Chris Bourque away the Washington Capitals in a trade for Zach Hamill.  Due to the lockout, the Bruins (like all the other teams) had an abbreviated training camp. Bourque was not expected to make the roster. He surprised a lot of people(myself among them) by making the team. He was placed on the third line, with Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. His speed gave the line versatility, and they were hoping that mix would work. He ended up playing eighteen games for the big Bruins. His overall score sheet was a little disappointing though.  (One goal, four points and six penalty minutes, -6 +/- rating.)

Bourque was taken thirty third overall in the 2004 NHL Draft by Washington. Coming into this season, he had thirty three previous NHL games under his belt. (Twenty for the Pittsburg Penguins, and thirteen for the Washington Capitals.) Bourque is up for grabs for any NHL team at the moment, and with the injury fest that is occurring in the NHL, it is quite possible for Bourque to get a job anywhere. It is more likely that the once he clears waivers, he will be sent down to the AHL Bruins’ affiliate, the Providence Bruins.

So, now what? Best guess is that Jay Pandolfo, another recent accquisition with an odd NHL history will be put on the third line with Kelly and Peverley. It’s a bloody shame really. We wanted it to work. There was a part of us that was already putting #48 on the rafters in fifteen years or so. It’s not that he was a terrible player. Boston needed to make a change, and they went with what would give them production. We’re 14-3-3, and I hope this change is a good one for us and the team.