3 Bruins Who Are in Danger of Losing Roster Spot
It’s amazing what two trades can do to a team.
Barely hanging onto the fourth and final East Division playoff position, the Boston Bruins had needs at the trade deadline and general manager Don Sweeney sent a message loud and clear from the front office to the locker room that he knows and was willing to better his club for the remainder of the regular season and hopefully a postseason run.
Yes, the Bruins have injuries, but also have a roster of some underperforming players. Sweeney added depth to the defense by adding a left-shot blueliner in Mike Reilly from the Ottawa Senators. It’s only been three games, but what a start to his Bruins’ career he’s having. He is an offensive defenseman that the group has been missing and plays well in all three zones.
Upfront was the biggest splash made by Sweeney Sunday night. He snagged Taylor Hall from the Buffalo Sabres. Ok, yeah, the Black and Gold were in the market for a right wing, but when Hall is available and you don’t have to give up a first-round pick, then you try and make the deal work. Add in the fact that the Sabres were retaining 50-percent of his contract, it’s a no-brainer.
Also part of the deal was a bottom-six forward named Curtis Lazar. All he has done in three games is come in and give a major spark and jolt to the Bruins fourth line, something that had been missing for some time. Since Lazar’s arrival on Causeway St., there has been a difference in play for the bottom-three forwards.
Boston has won three games in a row since the trades and with some of the injured players getting healthy and nearing a return, there are going to be some decisions that have to be made in regards to the roster when everyone is available. Let’s take a look at three Bruins whose roster spot could be in trouble in the not too distant future.
Halak could be the odd goalie out.
Over the past six weeks, No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask has been sidelined with an upper-body injury. Thursday night in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders, Rask returned to the lineup and played well, making 22 saves to collect his 300th career victory.
Rask looked calm, cool, and collective as usual in the net. He controlled his rebounds and the goal he gave up was not his fault as a Brad Marchand turnover set up the Islanders on their lamplighter.
Jaroslav Halak has spent the two weeks on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list and in both his and Rask’s absence, the Black and Gold’s two rookie goalies have done a great job manning the net. The most impressive rookie has been Jeremy Swayman and his recent play might be putting Halak’s roster spot when he’s ready to come back in jeopardy.
In five starts, Swayman is 4-1 with a 1.78 goals-against average (GAA) and a .938 save percentage (SV%). Friday night, he stopped all 25 shots he faced from the Islanders to record his first NHL shutout in the Bruins 3-0 victory.
The hope for the Bruins is that Rask can remain healthy the rest of the regular season and be ready for the playoffs. We saw what happened last summer when Rask left the Toronto playoff bubble and the goaltending duties were left to Halak and Dan Vladar. After finishing off the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, the duo struggled against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which eliminated Boston in five games.
Could Halak get his backup role back when he returns? Yes, but with the way Swayman is playing, it’s going to be difficult to keep the youngster out of uniform.
Chris Wagner’s spot could be in trouble.
For most of this season, Chris Wagner has struggled, even on the Bruins fourth-line. Not much production is expected from him to begin with, but he does have two goals and three assists in 32 games.
The addition of Lazar as part of the Hall trade has given the Bruins a much-needed jolt of energy in the middle of the bottom line. They have drawn the starting assignment in the last two games against the Islanders and set the tone from the drop of the puck with high-energy shifts.
But one problem that has been an issue for Wagner is his inconsistent play, as well as turning the puck over at bad times. He also brings with him each time he takes the ice a plus/minus of minus-9. That’s not even the worst on the team, but something tells me we’ll get there eventually.
Trent Frederic has missed some time recently with a non-COVID-19 related illness, but there signs pointing to him getting closer to a return. He has been on the ice recently at the Bruins training facility, Warrior Ice Arena, before the team comes out for practice getting some skating and shots in.
When Frederic is ready to return, there’s a very good chance that he’ll be inserted into the lineup. He does have four goals, so there’s a better chance of him finding the back of the net than Wagner, but at this point, anything he can add is better than what Wagner is giving right now.
Kuraly running out of chances?
Don’t get me wrong, Sean Kuraly gives the Bruins some key penalty killing minutes when he’s in the lineup. However, after that, it’s usually painful to see No. 52 out on the ice.
Whether it’s been at center, or recently at right wing since the addition of Lazar, Kuraly is sucking up a roster spot. He has two goals and two assists this season, but he does have a minus-11. Friday night against the Islanders, he took two penalties, with the second one a delay of game for flipping the puck directly out of play.
There is no doubt that there are times where you are left scratching your head as to why Kuraly is still in the lineup. Yes, coach Bruce Cassidy has made him a healthy scratch, but still, he doesn’t give much at all.
What happens to his spot? Well, unless there is an injury or illness to Lazar, there is no need to move him out of his position right now. As far as a wing goes, Frederic is an option as mentioned above, or what about Karson Kuhlman? He has brought more to the table lately in terms of his performance and energy.
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There are other candidates to have their roster spots in trouble, but these three are ones that really stop and make you think about what decisions are going to be made when more bodies are healthy and ready to enter the lineup. Two trades and the play of one rookie have thrown some curveballs in roster decisions that loom down the stretch of the regular season.