The Boston Bruins have done well in the past 12 months by picking up players in other organizations or through free agency who seemed to be on their last legs. Alex Steeves, Tanner Jeannot, Marat Khusnutdinov, Jordan Harris, and Jonathan Aspirot have all been looking good in their opportunities this season. They are a big reason why a shoddy-looking roster continues to succeed.
The organization's newest signing has a long way to go before he impacts Boston, but it could come sooner rather than later if the injuries continue to pile up. The Bruins recently signed defenseman Christian Wolanin to a tryout agreement in Providence, and he earned an AHL contract with eight points in his first seven games and some solid defensive play.
Wolanin burst onto the scene in Providence with a four-assist game against the Toronto Marlies in just his second time dressing. Wolanin failed to secure a contract after recording 40 points in 58 games with the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate in Abbotsford last season.
One of Wolanin's most significant issues has been his inability to stay healthy. He was once a promising prospect in the Ottawa Senators' organization, but has been bouncing around throughout the NHL and AHL since those days. He even played on some solid Team USA squads at the World Championships in 2019 and 2021, with his most impressive coming in the latter with six points in 10 games.
Bruins' savvy AHL pick-up could eventually impact NHL roster
There's a reason why Wolanin hasn't been able to stick. He battled injuries, as already mentioned, has been a step behind defensively against NHL competition, and his offensive output at the NHL level isn't great enough to outweigh the defensive deficiencies. In 86 career NHL games, he has just 23 points, which is a significant dropoff from his 0.76 points-per-game pace in the AHL.
The Bruins would have to sign Wolanin to an NHL contract for him to receive a call-up, but it's nice to have more depth in the organization. He also has some playoff experience, having won the Calder Cup with Abbotsford last season.
It remains to be seen whether Wolanin's impact on the organization is a late-season NHL signing to give the team another NHL body in the press box for Boston's possible playoff run or a valuable piece of a potential Calder Cup run in Providence. Nevertheless, the front office's run of savvy signings continues with Wolanin's early success.