Boston Bruins place five players on waivers

Today, Jan. 11, 2021, the Boston Bruins have placed five players on waivers.

With the 2021 NHL season starting in just two days on Wednesday, Jan. 13, every team has started to cut down their training camp roster. In some cases, this results in several players being placed on waivers. For the Boston Bruins, five players have been placed on waivers.

If these players aren’t picked up by another team, they will be eligible to join Boston’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, when their training camp starts. However, unlike previous seasons, the players that pass through waivers can also be placed on the taxi squad once the regular season begins and continue to travel and practice with the B’s.

Per Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, the five players that were placed on waivers are forwards Anton Blidh, Paul Carey, Greg McKegg, and Zach Senyshyn and defenseman Steve Kampfer. None of these players being placed on waivers being comes as a surprise.

All five of these players are prime candidates for the Boston Bruins’ taxi squad.

Zach Senyshyn – Right wing

The third of three first-round picks of the Bruins back in 2015, Senyshyn has yet to amount to anything more than an NHL depth forward. He looked good in his four games last season, registering two assists. However, this stint was ended early thanks to injury. At just 23 years old, it would serve him well being placed on the taxi squad as he would be able to practice and travel with the NHL team.

Greg McKegg – Center/Left wing

The B’s signed McKegg to a one-year, $700,000 deal this offseason and he was never expected to serve as a regular in the lineup. He’s purely here for depth. At 28 years old, it makes all too much sense to put McKegg on the taxi squad as he can play both center and left wing. Keep him out of Providence so he doesn’t take a lineup spot from a prospect.

Paul Carey – Center

Another veteran forward that is with Boston to provide depth, 32-year-old Carey has played in the AHL for the majority of his professional career. Like McKegg, he should be placed on the taxi squad so he doesn’t take a lineup spot in the AHL from a prospect.

Anton Blidh – Left wing

A former sixth-round pick by the Black and Gold in 2013, Blidh didn’t have much of a chance of making the regular roster this season after playing in just seven games last season and missing the first couple of days of training camp being unfit to participate. Blidh is still just 25 years old and could continue to develop with the benefits of the taxi squad, while continuing to provide depth for the team’s bottom-six forwards.

Steve Kampfer – Defenseman

Like Carey, the 32-year-old Kampfer has played most of his professional hockey in the AHL. Being a right-shot defenseman with Kevan Miller back, it was very unlikely Kampfer would crack the opening night roster for the B’s. However, he could provide a much needed veteran presence and depth for a young and inexperienced Boston defensive corps by being placed on the taxi squad.

As I said earlier, it’s very unsurprising that these five players were waived. Almost all of them are veterans and purely depth players, making them great candidates for the taxi squad.