Predicting the next Boston Bruins recall from Providence
By Sean Torney
Tommy Cross
The Boston Bruins recalled defenseman Matt Grzelcyk today, but the next defenseman they call up should be Tommy Cross. Cross played college hockey at Boston College and was taken by the Bruins in the second round of the 2007 NHL draft. Cross, who is currently Providence’s captain, could take his leadership abilities to Boston again this season.
Why he deserves it
Cross is Providence’s leading defenseman scorer with 6 points. He, like Czarnik, has also already made his NHL debut. Cross played three games for Boston during the 2015-2016 season, recording one assist in that time. He also played one game for Boston in the playoffs last season, where he had an assist and owned a +1 rating.
Who he would replace
The Bruins have been average defensively this season, ranking 14th in the league with 2.95 goals against per game. However, only three of the defenseman on Boston’s active roster own a positive +/-. The Bruins recalled Grzelcyk today to help replace the injured Krug, but could Cross come up to replace a struggling Paul Postma or Rob O’Gara?
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Postma has a -3 rating in 10 games with one assist, while O’Gara hasn’t scored and has a rating of -4. Cross has proven in Providence this season that he can both score and help keep the puck out his net, both things Postma and O’Gara are failing to do in Boston.