With three games remaining in the regular season, the Boston Bruins need a couple more points in the standings to get into the Eastern Conference playoffs. If they get in, they will be one of the two wild-card teams.
On Wednesday, a team starved for offense made the decision that they should have made earlier by signing James Hagens, the seventh overall pick of last June's Entry Draft in Los Angeles. He will almost certainly slot into the line-up right away and as early as Saturday afternoon's home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This signing signals trouble for some current players, and here are three players in danger of losing their spot in the lineup after Hagens officially signed.
3 Bruins players who will lose playing time after James Hagens signs his ELC
Alex Steeves
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney signed former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alex Steeves last summer in free agency. He broke camp in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins. He was called up in November and made an immediate impact with a goal against his former team in a Boston win.
However, after making a splash and getting a contract extension, things have gone south quickly for Steeves, who has been a healthy scratch as of late. He played in Tuesday night's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but more playing time is very much in doubt for him.
Mikey Eyssimont
Signed over the summer as a free agent to a two-year deal and has one more remaining next season at $1.45 million, Mikey Eyssimont has been finding himself as a healthy scratch as well. He has eight goals and 18 points in 53 games. He hasn't scored a goal since February when he potted two against the Florida Panthers.
Eyssimont will be someone who could be moved this offseason, as with Hagens coming on board, he'll likely slot into the lineup full-time next season. As far as unloading him over the summer, take what you can get and move on.
Lukas Reichel
Acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline, Lukas Reichel, a former first-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, opened some eyes when he was called up, but he has cooled off and found himself as a scratch as well. He has a lot of speed, but he hasn't found his goal-scoring touch. Like Steeves and Eyssimont, he should find himself on the ninth floor with Hagens on board.