Boston Bruins: Window of Opportunity is closing for Jordan Caron.

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

Jordan Caron was selected twenty fifth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, he was seen as another great French-Canadian forward. The comparisons to Patrice Bergeron were there, and as those two began training together, it was just assumed that Caron would be another dynamic player for the Bruins organization. He appeared to be the new face of the team, and there were high expectations for him.

Unfortunately for Caron and the Bruins, it didn’t quite turn out as planned.  To date, Caron has played eighty eight games of NHL hockey. In that stretch, Caron has eleven goals and twenty five points. His three year career has been riddled with unfortunate circumstances and injuries. When last season’s lockout occurred, the potential Bruins third liner played in Providence where he ended up wrenching his shoulder, and then after recovering from that was struck in the face with a puck.

Caron has a skill set equivalent to Bergeron. They’re both defensive minded hockey players. They are both strong wingers. They work well with the puck. Caron just hasn’t been as physical as Bergeron. A player with his size (6’3″, 204lbs) should be a lot more aggressive and be a bigger battler in the dirty areas of the ice.

If Rich Peverley had been traded before the beginning of last season, practically everyone would have named Caron as his replacement on the third line. Now, he’s facing extremely serious competition just to remain in a Bruins uniform. Young bucks like Matt Fraser or Ryan Spooner (or Jared Knight, Reilly Smith…) could reasonably out perform Caron and send him back to Providence, or more likely out of the Bruins organization.

This is likely to be Caron’s last chance to earn himself a position with the Bruins. Granted, a lot of the circumstances that led Caron to this point were of his own making, but he’s going to need to have a noteworthy performance in the upcoming preseason games if he wants to continue to wear the Black and Gold.