Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid has gotten used to being one-step behind going into training camp.
For the last few summers, Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid had to spend his summer undergoing surgeries and enduring extensive rehabilitation. He’s had work done on most of his body over the last few seasons, including a dangerous blood clot issue two seasons back. For the first time in years, the 29-year old McQuaid has had an injury-free offseason.
Over the last few years, McQuaid has battled hard to stay on the roster. While his primary duty has been as a stay-at-home defenseman, he’s emerged as a defensive fixture for the Boston Bruins. With the loss of Shawn Thornton a few years back, McQuaid has stepped into the role of primary enforcer for the Black and Gold.
The Boston Bruins have certainly appreciated McQuaid. They appreciated him so much they gave him a four-year extension (that a lot of fans believe he was overpaid for). With so much young talent coming up, and seven defensemen already signed, McQuaid is going to have to prove that he’s had a good offseason and is ready to compete for a spot in the upcoming roster.
McQuaid headed back home to Prince Edward Island to be with his family and workout there. Overall, he feels confident about his chances of staying in the spoked ‘B’.
“Training, skating and relaxing…that’s about it,” said McQuaid. about his offseason regimen. “This is the first I didn’t have a surgery in the last three years, so this is a good start. Not being behind the 8-ball is good. There’s probably going to be a lot of talk about the D-corps and uncertainty in different areas, but I’m looking forward to coming in, having a good training camp and having a really good season.
“The guys that I’ve talked to, everybody is looking forward to just a fresh start and a fresh opportunity. Hopefully we take care of what we can take care of, and see how everything else plays out.”
Hopefully, they’ll play out well for McQuaid. He’s being given another chance to prove he can play top-four minutes with a NHL club. If he can, he’ll validate the faith the Bruins have in him and prove his nay-sayers wrong.