David Krejci left Monday’s game between the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks with a lower-body injury.
Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t offer much of an update after the game, so there’s no timetable for a return. David Krejci did not have the best start this season; after he missed the opener against the Stars, Krejci only managed one assist in a little over four games of action. His linemates struggled to produce much offensively as well.
Nonetheless, Krejci’s an important piece for the Bruins. The Bruins need his line to provide secondary scoring behind the top line. Without that, the Bruins are simply a one-line team.
Boston certainly needs Krejci back in the lineup. Until that happens, Cassidy will have to get creative to make up for his loss.
Put Par Lindholm in Krejci’s spot
The easiest thing to do, especially if Krejci’s injury isn’t serious, is to put Par Lindholm in his spot. This is what Cassidy did in the game in Dallas.
Lindholm is a versatile player who can play center. He’s strong defensively, and he’s decent enough at faceoffs. He doesn’t offer a ton of upside, but Lindolm is reliable. Cassidy can trust that he won’t make too many mistakes out there.
With Lindholm at center instead of Krejci, there will be much more pressure on Jake DeBrusk to drive offense. DeBrusk has had a slow start to this season. He has zero goals through his first six games.
Karson Kuhlman will also find life more difficult without Krejci. Kuhlman, like DeBrusk, has yet to score. He’s a player who really needs a talented center to get him the puck in dangerous spots on the ice.
Nonetheless, replacing Krejci with Lindholm is a quick-fix solution that Cassidy will likely do for Thursday’s game against the Lightning. He won’t have to break up any of the other lines, so this is a way to limit the trickledown effect of Krejci’s absence.
Don’t expect a Lindholm, DeBrusk, and Kuhlman line to produce all that much. But, let’s face it: this line wasn’t offering much with Krejci anyway.