All teams go through injuries throughout an 82-game schedule, and sometimes your depth is tested over long periods. When it comes to the Boston Bruins, that was the case with their defense in 2024-25. The injuries started early in the season and continued during a crucial part of the season.
In November, defenseman Hampus Lindholm went down with an injury when he blocked a shot, killing a penalty against the St. Louis Blues. At the time, it wasn’t known how long he would miss, but when the dust settled, he would miss the rest of the season. Then there was Charlie McAvoy’s injury in February.
Injured in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA, McAvoy would miss the rest of the season for the Black and Gold as they quickly spiraled down the Eastern Conference standings to the basement. These injuries left the defense and organization scrambling even more after the trade deadline when Brandon Carlo was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. One player who saw more ice time was Parker Wotherspoon, and he is up next in our latest Boston Bruins Player Grades for the 2024-25 season.
Parker Wortherspoon’s performance & future
When the injuries piled up, that meant more ice time for players on the back end like Parker Wortherspoon. He finished the season with one goal and six assists with a plus/minus of minus-10. Numbers aside, he provided the Bruins with what you would expect: a physical presence on defense, but not a lot else.
As for going forward, he is a free agent on July 1, and a return to Boston is very unlikely. If there is one thing that the Bruins go into the offseason with, it’s a slew of sixth and seventh-round defensemen. Last season, he signed an extension with the Black and Gold for this year, but after a season that saw Boston fall well short of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, changes are coming throughout the roster and Wortherspoon is likely one of them, but he’ll find another home in the NHL with a club looking for depth on defense.