Boston Bruins: Do they risk losing Peter Cehlarik despite new contract?

The Boston Bruins may have signed Peter Cehlarik to a one-year contract extension, but are they at risk of seeing him lost on waivers if he fails to perform at an NHL level?

Peter Cehlarik, since being drafted in the third round (90th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, has floated around the Boston Bruins organisation, impressing enough to earn call-ups to the NHL in the past three seasons but not making them stick.

Since joining up with the Providence Bruins for the 2016-17 season, it’s been clear the Boston Bruins could see a potential role for Cehlarik on their roster and have given him ample chance, when performing well in the AHL, to step it up. This was all during the time frame where the player was waiver exempt.

As of the coming campaign, it’s going to be a case of fighting it out in the AHL, making it stick in the NHL or worse than either of those, hanging out in the Bruins press-box until someone else’s misfortune leads you to be pushed into action.

More from Editorials

• Pavel Zacha’s veteran status leading to bigger role in 2023-24
• The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
• Why the Bruins should wait to name a captain until after the season
• 3 players the Bruins can, 3 players could trade, 3 players they shouldn’t trade
• It’s time to offer Jake DeBrusk a contract extension

You’d highly doubt that the Bruins want to lose a player that they’re drafted and developed on a waiver claim. These things do happen, but Peter Cehlarik is a guy with enough potential that it’d be regrettable to the organisation, for sure.

The most recent season suggests that he may have finally find his feet on North American ice and be ready for another crack at the NHL roster. Marcus Johansson‘s departure leaves some space too. Last season, he grabbed six points in twenty games and looked to be at least a bottom-six type player at the highest level.

Now, with a strong development pipeline; these decisions are going to become more and more common, hence why we think the NCAA is utilised so heavily as the Boston Bruins’ preferred choice to develop players. Do you risk losing Peter Cehlarik this season via a waiver claim, purely because he hasn’t met your expectation or do you risk stunting any further development by sidelining him?

Obviously, there’s a lot of time between now and opening night on October 3rd, but Peter Cehlarik will certainly be seeking to be in that opening night NHL line-up. Whether deals go on that allow him to stay on the Boston Bruins roster regardless or whether they have to risk losing the player; only time will tell.