- The Bruins could get winger Jakub Lauko back tonight against Montreal, notes Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. The 23-year-old has missed the last couple of weeks after taking a skate near his left eye and suffering several bone fractures; understandably, he’ll be wearing a full cage if he plays tonight. Lauko has been held without a point in his first six games this season after putting up four goals and three helpers in 23 games on Boston’s fourth line last year.
Bruins Rumors
Charlie McAvoy Completes Suspension, Eligible To Return
- Things are looking up in the Sunshine State for the Florida Panthers, as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with a .625 points percentage. They’re about to get some reinforcements, too, as head coach Paul Maurice said today that center Sam Bennett is possible (but unlikely) to return from a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Blackhawks. Even if he doesn’t return to the lineup this weekend, that likely means Bennett could factor in next Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. The feisty secondary scorer has missed all but one game this season due to separate lower-body injuries, last appearing October 30 against the Boston Bruins and playing just 7:54. The 27-year-old had 16 goals and 40 points in 63 games last season and will immediately help bolster their top six upon returning. 22-year-old Anton Lundell, who’s filled in as their second-line center in Bennett’s absence, has scored just once in 12 games.
- Another big-time defender returning to action imminently is Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy, who has completed his four-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and is eligible to return to the lineup Saturday against the Canadiens. McAvoy had easily been the Bruins’ best defenseman through nine games, scoring two goals and six assists with a +6 rating while averaging 23:52 per game. McAvoy’s return to the lineup, along with shutdown defender Derek Forbort’s return from injury, meant the Bruins were able to return depth defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to AHL Providence earlier today.
Bruins Assign Parker Wotherspoon To AHL
The Boston Bruins returned defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on Friday, a team release states.
Wotherspoon, 26, heads back to the minors after serving as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders, his former team. He’d skated the previous three games on the team’s bottom pair instead of Derek Forbort, who returned against the Islanders after missing those three contests with a lower-body injury. However, things don’t appear 100% yet for Forbort, as Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reports that Forbort is not practicing with the team today.
The left-shot defender joined the Bruins this offseason on a one-year, two-way deal, earning him $775K in the NHL and $450K in the AHL. A 2015 fourth-round pick of the Islanders, Wotherspoon made his NHL debut last season after five full seasons of service with the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, logging an assist in 12 games. He did add one assist in three games during his recall to the Bruins’ NHL roster but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
In six games with Providence, Wotherspoon has one assist in six games and a -1 rating. He does not need waivers to return to Providence after already clearing waivers during the preseason, although he will if he plays seven more games for Boston and stays on the NHL roster for 21 more days.
Bruins’ Morgan Geekie Out Week-To-Week
11/09/23: The Bruins have announced that Geekie has been placed on injured reserve. Geekie’s place on the Bruins’ roster has been filled by Lauko, who was activated off of injured reserve in a corresponding move.
11/08/23: Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports. In addition, defenseman Derek Forbort is questionable to return for Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury.
Geekie, 25, is in his first season with the Bruins after signing a two-year, $4MM deal in free agency. The former Carolina Hurricane and Seattle Kraken had recorded a goal and two assists through 12 games this season, averaging 14:14 per game.
It’s unclear when Geekie sustained the injury, as he didn’t appear to miss a shift during the Bruins’ last game, a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday. It’s a tough break for the Manitoba-born forward, who was seeing increased ice time compared to years past and playing a solid possession game.
In terms of replacement options, winger Jakub Lauko returned to practice today as he works his way back from a skate cut sustained last month, but he remains on injured reserve. If he’s not ready to go for tomorrow’s game against the Islanders, veteran Patrick Brown will draw into the lineup and make his sixth appearance of the season. He’s still looking for his first point as a Bruin after joining the team in free agency and has a -1 rating while averaging just 8:54 per game thus far in 2023-24.
A potential return for Forbort would certainly be a boon to the Bruins’ penalty kill, although they’ve done well in his absence, killing off 11 out of 13 penalties in the last three contests. If he’s able to play, Forbort would likely replace recent AHL call-up Parker Wotherspoon on the team’s third pairing alongside Kevin Shattenkirk. Wotherspoon, 26, has logged one assist in three outings.
Injury Notes: Capitals, Horvat, Forbort, Tuch
The Washington Capitals have shared a slew of injury updates. Anthony Mantha, Joel Edmundson, and Trevor van Riemsdyk will all miss the team’s upcoming two-game road trip, while Nic Dowd’s availability is to be determined.
Mantha is facing an upper-body injury after taking a shot to the ear on Wednesday. Dowd and Edmundson (hand) are also listed with upper-body injuries, while van Riemsdyk has a lower-body injury.
Mantha and van Riemsdyk have both appeared in 10 games for the Capitals this season. Mantha has scored three goals and four points while averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time. He’s been the focus of a handful of conversations through the early season, facing a healthy scratching earlier in the year and continuing to appear in trade rumors. Mantha is in his third full season in Washington, where he’s totaled 62 points in 128 games. van Riemsdyk is also in his fourth year with the club, although he’s managed to carve out a bit more of a role with the club. The 32-year-old defenseman only has one point this season but recorded a career-high 23 points in 75 games last year. He’s continuing to serve in his modest role with the club this season, averaging 17 minutes of ice time.
Dowd has only played two games this year, while Edmundson has yet to make his Capitals debut, as both players are dealing with nagging ailments.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert declared Bo Horvat a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday night game against the Boston Bruins. He’s facing a lower-body injury after blocking a shot off his ankle in the team’s Saturday matchup against Carolina. The 28-year-old has nine points through 10 games this season.
- Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery shared that Derek Forbort is “probable” to play the Islanders. He is also battling a lower-body injury. Montgomery said that the team will use warmups as the indicator of if Forbort can play.
- Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch has been announced as day-to-day, with the Sabres hopeful that he can play in their Friday bout with Minnesota. He missed practice on Thursday with an upper-body injury. Top draft pick Matthew Savoie took line rushes with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner in Tuch’s place.
NHL Upholds Charlie McAvoy’s Suspension
Nov. 8: After the appeal process, Bettman has decided to uphold McAvoy’s four-game suspension, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports.
Nov. 2: Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted that Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is planning to appeal the four-game suspension he received for his illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. McAvoy had a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday shortly before he received news of the suspension.
Much like the Calgary Flames’ Rasmus Andersson suspension appeal, Gary Bettman would hear a McAvoy appeal because the suspension is for less than six games. In the case of Andersson, Bettman rejected the appeal and kept the suspension at four games.
McAvoy had just scored the game-tying goal mere moments before the hit occurred in the third period of Monday night’s game against Florida. McAvoy hit Ekman-Larsson with a blindside check in which the initial impact was the head of the Panthers defenseman. McAvoy was assessed a five-minute match penalty and was kicked out of the game. Ekman-Larsson was hurt on the play and stayed on the ice but did remain in the game.
The Long Beach, New York native was suspended once before back in 2019 when he was involved in a hit to the head of then Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson during the Bruins run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
McAvoy is sitting out the first game of his suspension tonight as the Bruins battle the Toronto Maple Leafs. If McAvoy’s suspension is upheld by Bettman then the 25-year-old won’t be eligible to return to the lineup until November 11th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Charlie McAvoy Suspension Appeal Updates
Last night, it was reported that Boston Bruins defenseman, Charlie McAvoy would appeal the suspension given to him by the league for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Originally, the league determined that McAvoy would be issued a four-game suspension, and there are a few updates on the appeal process.
McAvoy did not play in last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to the suspension, as well as defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort due to injuries, severely limiting the depth of the Bruins blue line. Up to this point in the season, McAvoy has played in nine games for Boston, scoring two goals and six assists while averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per night.
- One of many new additions to the offensive core of the Detroit Red Wings, the team has announced that Christian Fischer is considered day-to-day, and may not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Bruins. Fischer has primarily been employed in a fourth-line role for the team after being non-tendered by the Arizona Coyotes last summer and has provided one assist through 11 games to start the year.
Derek Forbort Considered Day-To-Day
After placing defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on LTIR yesterday, the Boston Bruins have received more unfortunate news for their blue line before their important game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, tonight. Speaking with media this morning, head coach of the Bruins, Jim Montgomery, announced that Derek Forbort is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and also will not play for Boston tonight.
The depth of one of the Bruins’ best qualities to start the season will surely be tested against a potent Maple Leafs offense. As was already made public yesterday, Boston did call up a trio of defensemen to replace some of the lost minutes, as Mason Lohrei, Ian Mitchell, and Parker Wotherspoon will all get a spot on the NHL roster.
In the press conference, Montgomery did mention that the team would primarily be looking at Lohrei and Wotherspoon to take over Forbort’s minutes, but their playing time will ultimately be influenced by the pace of the game tonight. So far this year, Lohrei has been playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, garnering four assists in seven games.
This weekend, the Bruins are set to take on another Original Six rival in the Detroit Red Wings, which Fobort could ultimately play in if the injury is not severe. Nevertheless, if he is unable to play for the team on Saturday, he should be able to play in all three of Boston’s games next week.
Boston Bruins Place Matt Grzelcyk On Long-Term Injured Reserve, Recall Three
The Boston Bruins have placed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on long-term injured reserve, according to a team announcement. As a result, Grzelcyk will not be eligible to play until late November.
In addition to placing Grzelcyk on LTIR, the team has also placed forward Jakub Lauko on traditional injured reserve, and recalled defensemen Mason Lohrei, Ian Mitchell, and Parker Wotherspoon from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Grzelcyk, 29, lands on LTIR after leaving the Bruins’ October 30th contest with an upper-body injury. Grzelcyk has established himself as a top-four defenseman in Boston, having scored at least 20 points in four consecutive seasons and averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game in his NHL career.
He’s gotten off to a slow start this season, but thanks to his $3.687MM cap hit his LTIR placement provides the Bruins with the financial headroom to make this trio of recalls.
The most noable name in the list of players called up is Lohrei, who ranks among the top prospects in a thin Bruins prospect system. Set to turn 23 in January, the 2020 second-round pick is a rangy, mobile blueliner who scored well across his two-year collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
So far, Lohrei has just 15 professional games on his resume. But with this recall, he is now positioned to potentially make his NHL debut on a Bruins’ roster that, before these recalls, boasted just four defensemen eligible to play.
As for Mitchell and Wotherspoon, neither holds the kind of upside or top prospect intrigue that Lohrei has. What they do have that Lohrei doesn’t, though, is significant experience playing pro hockey and some NHL experience. Mitchell, 24, has played 84 career NHL games while Wotherspoon has 12 NHL games and nearly 300 in the AHL.
As a right-shot blueliner, Mitchell is the likeliest candidate to immediately land in the NHL lineup while head coach Jim Montgomery will have to choose between Wotherspoon and Lohrei as to which left-shot defensemen he’ll dress for games.
That being said, the left-shot blueliners may stand a stronger chance at lasting on the NHL roster beyond the next four games. Once Charlie McAvoy’s suspension ends, a major void on the right side of the Bruins’ defense gets filled.
Meanwhile, Grzelcyk is set for a more extended absence, meaning Lohrei or Wotherspoon could extend their stay on the NHL roster beyond Mitchell, assuming they can handle the NHL minutes thrown their way.
Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Suspended Four Games
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended four games for an illegal check to the head against Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Monday night’s overtime win, the NHL Department of Player Safety said today. McAvoy faced a phone hearing earlier today.
This is the third suspension of the 2023-24 regular season and the fourth to stretch into the regular season. Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is just now gearing up to return from a four-game suspension for charging (and injuring) Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine, while Kings winger Arthur Kaliyev served a four-game suspension split evenly between the preseason and regular season earlier this month. Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton was also assessed a two-game penalty.
In a video explanation for the suspension, NHL DoPS gave the following explanation for the suspension:
It is important to note that both elements of the Illegal Check to the Head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is the main point of contact, as McAvoy makes direct, forceful contact with Ekman-Larsson’s head, and it is the head that absorbs the majority of the force of the check. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. McAvoy chooses an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Ekman-Larsson’s body, missing his core and picking his head. If McAvoy wants to deliver this hit, he must stay low and choose an angle that hits through Ekman-Larsson’s shoulder and core, rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.
McAvoy was assessed a match penalty on the play, which occurred with over ten minutes remaining in regulation and just a few minutes after McAvoy had scored the game-tying goal, by on-ice officials. While not a late hit by league standards, Ekman-Larsson did not have possession of the puck when the collision occurred, and McAvoy’s shoulder area contacted Ekman-Larsson’s face and jaw, swinging his head to the side with force. Ekman-Larsson did not return to the game.
McAvoy’s history with DoPS influenced the length of the suspension. He missed a game during the Bruins’ run to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final due to a suspension, also for an illegal check to the head.
This now means the Bruins will be without their top defense pair for the next couple of games, at least. Matt Grzelcyk left the Florida game due to an upper-body injury and is expected to miss a handful of games. That means a recall is likely for top defense prospect Mason Lohrei, who would make his NHL debut at home against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.