Don't look now, but we are entering the final full week of training camp for the Boston Bruins. So far, the Black and Gold have won two of their first three preseason games, and it appears that head coach Marco Sturm is getting down to what his roster will look like on Oct. 8 when Boston opens the season against the Washington Capitals.
The Bruins announced their first round of cuts for players who are going to head down to the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins. The list includes Joey Abate, Luke Cavallin, Ty Cheveldayoff, Jackson Edward, Colin Felix, Ty Gallagher, Loke Johansson, Jake Schmaltz, Max Wanner, and Simon Zajicek.
There is not one name on that list that is surprising, and the real decisions are going to be made soon with players like Fabian Lysell, John Beecher, and Matthew Poitras, just to name a few. Some interesting days await before the season begins.
Elias Lindholm wants to be a playmaker for his two linemates
Elias Lindholm's first season in Boston was nowhere close to what he wanted it to be. He was injured in camp, and it hampered him throughout the season. As the season was coming to a close, he got better and played well between Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak. This season, he wants to be a playmaker for them in 2025-26.
"Those two played together for a long time and obviously have good chemistry,'' said Lindholm. "So for me, it is kind of just start off where I left. Play solid defensively, and once I get the puck, try to put it in their hands."
Last season, Geekie scored a career-high 33 goals and Pastrnak scored 43. Geekie earned himself a nice payday this summer with a new deal with the Bruins, and it appears first-year coach Marco Strum is going to keep them together. If so, and Lindholm is healthy, who knows what they can do this year?
Dalton Bancroft has memorable moment
When Cornell's season last March in the NCAA Tournament, Bruins' general manager Don Sweeney signed Dalton Bancroft to an undrafted free agent contract. In Boston's 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night on the road, he scored a pair of second-period goals. He has been someone who has had his moments in camp.
“I feel like I blacked out a little bit,” Bancroft said. “It was definitely a little bit of panic setting in, but after that it felt really good.”
“I’ve just kind of tried to be a sponge and learn from all the older guys and take in as much as I can. You don’t know if you’re going to get to this point or not, so it’s just been a really cool experience.”
He will likely end up in the AHL with Providence, but the 24-year-old is someone who could get a call later in the season if needed in Boston.