Boston Bruins: What injuries are we currently dealing with?
The Boston Bruins had somewhat of a nightmare year last season when it came to injuries. In fact, not one player played the full 82 games. Thus far this year hasn’t been much better for them.
With Torey Krug one of the latest to find himself added to the Boston Bruins’ injured reserve list, you have to wonder what the team does that causes so many injuries to their players.
Is it the advancing years of the core group? Is it the slightly heavier style we play compared to most of our Atlantic Division rivals? Is it poor scouting and drafting; acquiring guys that are a little flimsy, for lack of a better word? Or is it plan and simple just rotten luck?
Whatever it is, it’s forced Boston Bruins head coach, Bruce Cassidy to adapt plenty both last year and this year. Against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, he iced a line-up containing no less than 4 players that started the year with the Providence Bruins.
The likes of Trent Frederic, Anders Bjork, Urho Vaakanianen and Paul Carey are all more than capable hockey players, but it’s still a bit of a leap to view them on the same level as the guys they were filling in for.
We’re talking, on Saturday, the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Jake Debrusk and Torey Krug, among others, missing from the line-up due to injury.
In assessing the injuries currently afflicting the Boston Bruins, we shall look at those we can expect back sooner rather than later as well as those that aren’t even back on the ice yet.
Hopefully the returnees have an impact, when they eventually get back out there.
Anyhow, let’s start with the more long-term injuries:
Don’t expect these guys back very soon
The group of those not to expect anything too soon from is headlined by Karson Kuhlman, who looked to have grabbed the second line right-wing spot at the start of the season.
Kuhlman put in an impressive effort during last season’s run to the Stanley Cup Final and started this year alongside Jake Debrusk and David Krejci (once he himself returned from injury).
However, luck hasn’t been on the former Minneosta-Duluth student, with the 24 year-old going down injured against the Toronto Maple Leafs back in October. His injury was reported as a hairline non-displaced fracture in his right tibia.
You’d have to assume any sort of fracture, especially to the legs of a hockey player, is going to require certain levels of rehabilitation. The initial estimate was that we’d see Kuhlman back within four weeks, but as of this weekend, he’s still not back skating with the team.
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David Backes is somewhat a mystery as to his actual injury. He was reported to have suffered an upper-body injury and retro-actively placed on injured reserve, dated back to November 2nd.
That timeline lines up directly with the knock-out hit on Ottawa Senators forward, Scott Sabourin. You’d think that the injury could well be relating to either his shoulder or potentially even be another concussion.
If it is the latter, ignoring the fact that it’d be of great benefit to put him on long-term injured reserve, you’d think the decision that’d be in the best interests of David Backes, the husband and father, would be to retire from the game. Repeated concussions could become a huge issue in later life.
Finally, there’s Zach Senyshyn, who courtesy of the injury to Backes, was making his best efforts to stake a claim at a regular roster spot with the Boston Bruins.
Per NESN, the 2015 first round pick for the Bruins is likely to be out for four weeks, with a re-evaluation at that point. His injury was noted by Bruce Cassidy as a lower-body issue, sustained against the Florida Panthers.
While we shouldn’t expect to see these guys soon, the next group should be back out there sooner rather than later.
Returning to a rink near you. Soon.
Among this group is one of the longer-term injuries for the Boston Bruins, that being the upper-body concerns of blue-liner John Moore.
Moore, who signed a five-year pact with the Boston Bruins in 2018, appeared in the Stanley Cup Final last year, albeit at that point he was playing hurt and had all but given in to the fact that he’d need major work in the summer.
He had surgery on his shoulder back on June 26th with the original timeline for his recovery putting him back on the ice as early as October or possibly even as late as early January. As of this moment, he is now back skating but we figure it’s still a little time before he’s back in the line-up.
Patrice Bergeron, it’s likely has been carrying his injury for a significant time, perhaps a minor niggle that re-surfaces from time to time. The Boston Bruins have taken a first step in the NHL towards what was termed ‘load management’ by the championship-winning Toronto Raptors in the NBA last year.
In not icing Bergeron against the Capitals, they were giving him a night off due to the robust nature of both fixtures and ensuring they don’t lose him for four or five games further down the schedule. A smart move, really.
Looking to get back very soon is Torey Krug; his placement on injured reserve retroactively likely to be a pure financial move. Expect to see him back on the ice soon, possibly even against the Devils.
We don’t have official timelines for Jake Debrusk or Brett Ritchie, but both have played their role this year already and will hopefully be back in competitive action soon. Both players are back on the ice and practising, so you’d have to also assume it’s sooner rather than later for them, though reportedly, Ritchie is closer than Debrusk to a return – possibly Tuesday.
Finally, Kevan Miller isn’t yet back skating with the team in a contact jersey, so between his and Moore’s extended absences, guys like Connor Clifton and Urho Vaakanainen are really getting a chance to prove themselves as NHL-calibre defensemen.
Less than stellar November tests Bruins' character. dark. Next
Safe to say, it’s quite the list for mid-November. Let’s hope it’s as bad as it gets this season for the Boston Bruins when it comes to injuries.