Boston Bruins Tyler Randell Could Play On The Fourth Line
By Jay Peterson
Tyler Randell has come out of nowhere this September and has managed to stay with the Boston Bruins in October. It was thought by some, myself included, that the battle for the right wing position on the fourth line would have been between Seth Griffith and Brian Ferlin. However, with Seth Griffith out with an injury, and Brian Ferlin being a part of the most recent list of training camp cuts, it looks like the right wing spot is Randell’s for the taking.
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So, what is standing in Tyler Randell’s way? Well, with the top nine forwards pretty much set in stone, the remaining forwards at camp fighting for the fourth line are Chris Kelly, Max Talbot, Zac Rinaldo and Joonas Kemppainen. While some of these players have been seen playing on the right wing with each other throughout training camp, none of these players have a right-handed shot.
Randell is the only forward, not in the top nine, left in camp that has a right-handed shot. Cluade Julien and the Boston Bruins staff would know this and are obviously either comfortable with playing three left shots on one line, or are confident that Tyler Randell is ready to take the next step.
Joonas Kemppainen is the only forward remaining, other than Tyler Randell, that is under a two-way contract with the Boston Bruins. So, it would seem most likely that Kemppainen or Randell would be sent down to Providence while the other player would remain with the big club as the thirteenth forward, or fourth line member.
Kemppainen has been good this training camp and seems to be adapting well to the North American ice size. However, I feel that his skill would be better suited with the Providence Bruins, where he can play a larger role with more ice time and also challenge Alexander Khokhlachev for the top line center position.
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Kemppainen, along with Khokhlachev, is a player that could potentially be called upon when a top nine forward suffers an injury. I would argue that Tyler Randell is not that type of player yet. His role, if any, would be with the fourth line this year and that is why the Bruins management team has decided to keep him up.
The only thing that is left to be determined is the impact that Seth Griffith’s return from injury will have on Randell’s position in Boston. Griffith is not cleared to play yet, so until then, Tyler Randell will have an incredible opportunity to once again show the Boston Bruins that he belongs on the team. I, for one, hope that he is up for the challenge.
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