The Boston Bruins signed John Moore two summers ago to fill a spot on the left side of the defense. He proved valuable last season as a depth player, but he missed every game this year after offseason shoulder surgery.
Moore started to skate with the team earlier this month, and now he looks close to a return. Coach Bruce Cassidy said on Saturday morning that Moore and teammate David Backes will return soon.
#NHLBruins updates per Bruce Cassidy:
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 30, 2019
Brad Marchand had flu-like symptoms yesterday and today, played through it. Will see how he is tomorrow.
Patrice Bergeron is out tomorrow vs. Montreal. Still day to day.
David Backes and John Moore are very close to returning. pic.twitter.com/t4WiKClpdv
When Moore is healthy and ready to go, where will he play in the lineup? Will he even have a spot in the lineup?
Right now, the Bruins look set on the left side of the defense. Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Matt Grzelcyk are the consistent starters, and they won’t go anywhere. So, unless there’s an injury, Moore won’t replace either of them any time soon.
So again, we ask the question: where will Moore play?
One thing the Bruins could do is move Moore to the right side. Although he’s a left shot, Moore can play as a right defenseman.
This isn’t ideal, and Cassidy even said before how he doesn’t like to play defenders on the off-side. Moore, however, did play the right side a little last year, so he certainly offers that versatility. And, if he wants to play, he might not have a choice.
If he looks comfortable enough on the right side of defense, Moore could split time on the third pairing with Connor Clifton. The Bruins could waive Steven Kampfer to clear a roster spot.
Another option for the Bruins is to find a trade partner for Moore. He needs to play first to show that he’s healthy, but after that the Bruins could trade him.
A trade could work out for both teams. The Bruins would get an open roster spot and some cap space, and Moore would get a better chance to play. A trade is not always ideal, but it could be in this case.
The Bruins probably won’t get a ton in return for Moore, but he won’t be too difficult to move. His cap hit is manageable, and Moore is more than serviceable as a defenseman.
That’s actually one of the reasons why the Bruins may choose to hold on to Moore as a depth piece. As we see every postseason, teams can never have too many defenders. If Boston can’t find a suitable trade, don’t be surprised if Moore sticks and factors in somewhere down the line.