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Patrick Brown Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Brown went through waivers unclaimed, Friedman reports.

Friday: The Bruins placed center Patrick Brown on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Brown, 31, has played a limited role for the Bruins after signing a two-year, $1.6MM deal in free agency last summer. Initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Hurricanes in 2014, the veteran has since appeared in 144 NHL games and 403 AHL games over the past nine years. Over the past few seasons, however, he’s managed to hold on to a depth NHL role with the Bruins, Flyers and Senators and has not appeared in the minors since the 2020-21 season as the captain of the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ minor-league affiliate.

The Bruins waived Brown before the 2023-24 season started and have recalled and reassigned him for brief periods throughout the first month-and-a-half of the campaign, but he’s yet to appear for AHL Providence.

Brown has been a non-factor in six NHL games with Boston this season, failing to get on the scoresheet while posting a -1 rating, two penalty minutes, and four shots on goal in 9:19 of ice time per game. He has gone a respectable 53.8% in the faceoff circle but has taken just 13 draws. His possession numbers have been low relative to his teammates, and his offensive-zone usage has been extremely limited, starting just eight percent of his shifts there.

After remaining on the active NHL roster for more than 30 days since clearing waivers last month, he’ll need to pass through them again unclaimed to return to Providence. Brown’s only appearance in the month of November came over one week ago against the Islanders, logging a season-high 11:23 of ice time but failing to get on the stat sheet in any form. He’s been a healthy scratch in six out of the last seven games.

Assigning Brown to the AHL would leave the Bruins with just 12 healthy forwards on the roster, however, so a corresponding transaction could be in the works after he passes through (or gets claimed) tomorrow. This could hint that one of Morgan Geekie or Milan Lucic, who are both on IR and LTIR, respectively, could be nearing a return.

Milan Lucic Takes Indefinite Leave Of Absence From Bruins

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Bruins winger Milan Lucic was close to being eligible to return from a lower-body injury that has had him on LTIR for the past three weeks but that is now on hold indefinitely.  On Saturday, the Bruins released the following statement to reporters including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald (Twitter links) following an alleged domestic incident:

The Boston Bruins are aware of an incident involving Milan Lucic Friday evening. Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously, and will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need. We will have no further comment at this time.

Lucic returned to Boston this summer as a free agent, inking a one-year, $1MM contract that also contained an additional $500K in performance bonuses.  He has played in just four games so far this season, picking up two assists while recording eight hits in a little under 12 minutes per contest.

Grzlecyk Is Back Practicing With The Bruins

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  • Eligible to return next Saturday against the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins’ defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk is still on the LTIR, rehabbing his way back from an upper-body injury sustained in late October. However, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald indicates the rehab process is going well, as Grzelcyk is back practicing with the team today.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Matt Grzelcyk Could Be Cleared To Return Soon

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NHL.com writer Tom Gulitti tweeted today that Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha suffered a ruptured ear drum when an Evgeny Kuznetsov shot bounced off a defender’s stick and hit Mantha in the ear. The injury happened November 8th in a game against the Florida Panthers and led to the 29-year-old being placed on the injured reserve.

Mantha reportedly lost hearing in that ear for six days and has only now started to get it back. He reported feeling dizziness initially, but according to Tarik El-Bashir, he should be well enough to play on Saturday when he is eligible to come off the IR.

Mantha has three goals and an assist in ten games this season with the Capitals and has been a healthy scratch at times as he hasn’t been able to find his game in Washington. He had two of his goals in the Panthers game when he suffered the injury but was knocked out of the game before he could complete the hat trick.

In other notes:

  • Boston Globe writer Conor Ryan is reporting that Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that he expects defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to be cleared to return to the Bruins lineup by this Saturday. The 29-year-old has been out of the lineup since October 30th when he suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime win against the Florida Panthers. Grzelcyk played just 3:29 in that game and left during the third period of the win. The native of Charlestown, Massachusetts has dressed in nine games this season and has a single assist but has looked off his game when in the lineup. His average ice time is down, as are many of his defensive numbers which could lead one to speculate if he was dealing with a nagging injury prior to sitting out these past few weeks.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they’ve essentially reversed yesterday’s roster moves. The Avalanche sent Sam Malinski and Caleb Jones to the Colorado Eagles yesterday and today decided to recall both players. No word yet on why Colorado opted to change course, but both players are back on the Avalanche’s NHL roster as of this morning. Jones has an assist in his one NHL game this year while Malinski is pointless in one game.

Lucic Recovering Slower Than Expected

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  • In what has become another infamous ’paper’ transaction in the NHL, after sending down both Ian Mitchell and Oskar Steen yesterday, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal is reporting that the Boston Bruins have recalled both players today. Of the two, Mitchell has been a much better player in terms of production, scoring two points in seven games played, averaging over 14 and a half minutes of ice time per night.
  • Sticking with the Bruins, the head coach of the team, Jim Montgomery, shared that forward Milan Lucic is recovering much slower than expected from his lower-body injury. After eight years away from Boston, Lucic has not played in a game for the Bruins since their October 21st game against the Los Angeles Kings. In only four games played this season, Lucic has tallied two assists for the organization, averaging just a touch under 12 minutes of ice time per game.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Jakub Lauko Could Return Tonight

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  • 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.

Charlie McAvoy Completes Suspension, Eligible To Return

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  • 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

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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

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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

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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:

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