Boston Bruins: Chris Kelly Out For The Season
The Boston Bruins have a few tough choices on their hands. Bruins forward Chris Kelly went down just 1:40 into the first period on his first shift in tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars. It was a fluke injury as his left leg buckled underneath him on the ice. It looked bad on the ice, and now according to Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, it’s even worse.
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A few minutes ago, Don Sweeney released a statement on the condition of the Bruins forward.
“Chris sustained a left femur fracture in the first period of the Bruins/Stars game on Tuesday, November 3 and was transported to Mass General Hospital. He will undergo surgery on Wednesday, November 4 at Mass General Hospital and his expected recovery time is between six and eight months.”
That’s a rough call for the Bruins alternate captain. The 34-year old forward has become a dependable if not flashy player for the Black and Gold these last six seasons. Chris Kelly came over at the trade deadline in the 2010-11 season to the Bruins. Kelly found himself as a dependable center, and he helped the Bruins claim their first Stanley Cup in thirty-nine years.
Chris Kelly played in ten games this season for the B’s. Kelly put in two goals for the Bruins, including one of two Bruins short-handed goals this season.
Now that Kelly is out for the season, this does open up a few options for the Bruins organization. Once Kelly is moved to injured reserve, that will open up several million dollars on the salary cap. The Bruins could try to look around for a player that would gel with the current roster.
Kelly’s absence is certainly a gift to Alexander Khokhlachev. Khokhlachev was called up tonight to fill in the hole left by an injured David Pastrnak. Now, the young Russian forward has a golden opportunity to prove to the Bruins he can play at the NHL level.