Kevin Shattenkirk Fined For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been fined $2,734.38 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (Twitter link). It is the maximum allowable fine under the collective bargaining agreement. Shattenkirk earned the fine when he reached over the bench and slashed Bunting on the wrist as he was skating by, after Bunting tripped Linus Ullmark. Shattenkirk wasn’t assessed a penalty during the game and went on to score Boston’s third goal in their eventual 6-4 victory.
Bruins To Activate Pat Maroon Off LTIR
The Bruins were relatively quiet at the trade deadline, only making a pair of smaller moves. While Andrew Peeke has settled into a depth role, their other addition hasn’t even played yet. That will change tonight as Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that winger Pat Maroon will play against Pittsburgh, meaning he has been activated off LTIR.
Boston acquired the 35-year-old from Minnesota but at the time, Maroon had already been out for a little over a month after undergoing back surgery. When he had the procedure, the anticipated recovery time was four to six weeks but in the end, it winds up being closer to nine. However, he’ll at least get a chance to play in their final three games of the regular season which should be enough to get him playoff-ready.
Maroon played in 49 games with the Wild before the swap, picking up four goals and a dozen assists along with 71 hits and 60 penalty minutes, numbers that are reasonable for a fourth liner. Boston undoubtedly had interest in his postseason experience as well as Maroon is tied for eighth among active NHL skaters with 150 playoff appearances including a trio of Stanley Cup titles between 2018-19 and 2020-21.
In order for Boston to formally activate Maroon, they need to be cap-compliant to do so. They were able to accomplish that on Friday when they re-assigned defenseman Mason Lohrei to AHL Providence so no further roster movement will be needed.
Bruins Assign Mason Lohrei To Minors
The Bruins announced Friday that blue-liner Mason Lohrei has been assigned to AHL Providence. He’ll get some game action in the minors starting tonight after being scratched in nine of Boston’s last 11 games.
A second-round pick in 2020, the 23-year-old Lohrei still holds the title of the best defense prospect in the organization. He made his NHL debut in November, and early returns suggest he’s well on his way to becoming a regular on the Bruins’ blue line. Through 41 games, the Louisiana native has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) with a -2 rating while averaging 16:57 per game. The Bruins’ possession metrics have been worse than you’d think, given their 107 points, and Lohrei’s individual ones are a tad below average, with a 46.3 CF% and a 49.1 xGF% at even strength. There’s room for improvement, but rookie defenders rarely dominate shot attempts or possession quality.
Lohrei has played spot duty on special teams, averaging around 30 seconds per game on both the power play and penalty kill. His power-play impact has been impressive, although he does have a goal and two assists with the man advantage. He has shone through on the penalty kill, posting a relative CF% of 10.7 and doing well in limiting shot attempts compared to his teammates. That’s a promising early sign of his ability to deal with increased minutes on the PK as he develops.
He’s played well enough that Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery likely won’t have any qualms about inserting Lohrei into the playoff lineup if injuries force Boston’s blue-line depth to step up. He’ll have the option to make postseason appearances for Providence, too, which has clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He has one year left on his entry-level contract with a $925K cap hit and will be an RFA in 2025.
Don Sweeney, Jim Nill To Manage Team Canada At 4 Nations
Team Canada has announced that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will serve as the team’s general manager for the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill has been named the associate general manager (Twitter link). They were chosen by Doug Armstrong, the management group lead for Canada’s National Men’s Team, with support from Ryan Getzlaf, Scott Salmond, Katherine Henderson, and Pat McLaughlin.
This will be Sweeney’s first time managing an international team – and his first time managing a team not called the Bruins. He’s been confined to the Boston organization since his managerial career began in 2006-07, serving as Boston’s GM for the last nine seasons. His only international experience to this point was 11 games at the 1997 IIHF World Championship, where Sweeney potted four points as Canada paved their way to a Gold Medal. He’s since added the 2011 Stanley Cup and the 2019 General Manager of the Year award to his trophy cabinet, on top of leading some of the most impressive regular season performances the NHL has ever seen.
Sweeney will be flanked by Nill, who has plenty of international experience under his belt. Nill served as Canada’s GM at the 2004 and 2015 World Championships, winning a Gold Medal both times. He also garnered plenty of experience as a player – joining Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics, the site of America’s prolific Miracle on Ice. That experience could light a fire under Nill, who is bound to face tough competition from the United States at 4 Nations.
The duo of Sweeney and Nill not only connects two of the top GMs in the NHL, it marks the first big step from Armstrong and his new management group for the Canadian National Men’s Team. They will look to takeaway all of the learning lessons that they can, with the 2026 Winter Olympics rapidly approaching.
Pat Maroon Hopeful For Next Weekend, Quinn Olson Signs Outside Organization
The Bruins are hoping to have trade deadline pickup Pat Maroon make his Boston debut a week from today against the Penguins, head coach Jim Montgomery said (via Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe). Maroon hasn’t played in over two months, last suiting up on Jan. 27. He’s been out since with a back injury, missing over six weeks for the Wild before they dealt him to Boston at the deadline for a sixth-round pick and a minor league player. It was the fifth time the well-traveled Cup winner has been traded in his career, only changing teams in free agency twice. Prior to exiting the lineup, Maroon had four goals and 16 points in 49 games while averaging 12:46 a night, his highest usage since winning the Cup with the Blues in a top-nine role in 2019. The Bruins will look to him to add veteran experience and penalty minutes to a fourth line that’s mainly revolved around rookies and call-ups.
- Bruins forward prospect Quinn Olson has signed outside the organization, landing with AHL Ontario for the rest of the season, per Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Boston will lose their exclusive signing rights to Olson if they can’t agree to an entry-level contract by Aug. 15. 23 next month, Olson just wrapped up a five-year stint at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he served as an alternate captain in his senior and graduate seasons and totaled 27 goals and 96 points across 175 games. Not being offered a tryout by Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence is a strong indication that the 2019 third-round pick will reach unrestricted free agency in August.
Evening Notes: Brazeau, Chabot, Tkachuk, Trenin
Boston Bruins rookie forward Justin Brazeau will be out week-to-week after suffering an apparently upper-body injury. Not many details are available yet, but Brazeau flew back to Boston yesterday to meet with doctors and more information will be available in the coming days regarding the severity and the timeline of the injury.
Brazeau was hurt in the first period of the Bruins game on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators and did not return. He was stood up by Luke Schenn on the play and appeared to be favoring his arm or his shoulder while he received attention from the Bruins staff on the bench. In 19 games this season the 26-year-old rookie has five goals and two assists and has played predominantly in Boston’s bottom six.
In other evening notes:
- Ottawa Sun reporter Bruce Garrioch tweeted that he expects Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot to return to the lineup this weekend. The 27-year-old has battled injuries throughout the season with the most recent ailment keeping him out of the lineup since March 27th. Chabot’s absence was caused by a lower-body injury that was called a nagging injury by Senators staff. Chabot has dressed in just 44 games this season for Ottawa and has posted good offensive numbers with eight goals and 20 assists.
- Matthew Tkachuk was back in the Florida Panthers lineup tonight as they routed the Senators 6-0. Tkachuk had a goal and two assists in 12:56 of ice time. Tkachuk didn’t dress for the Panthers on Tuesday in Montreal as he battled an illness but showed no ill effects of it tonight in Ottawa. With his three points this evening, Tkachuk now has 24 goals and 59 assists on the season in 75 games and is unlikely to eclipse the 100-point plateau for the third consecutive season.
- Corey Masisak of The Denver Post tweeted that Colorado Avalanche center Yakov Trenin did not dress tonight for the game against the Minnesota Wild due to an undisclosed injury. Trenin was acquired at the trade deadline from the Predators and has dressed in 10 games with the Avalanche posting two goals. Colorado’s head coach Jared Bednar did tell reporters that Trenin could play tomorrow night when the Avalanche head to Edmonton to take on the Oilers.
College Hockey Notes: Salminen, Graf, Sergeyev
New Jersey Devils forward prospect Samu Salminen is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now (Web link). Salminen has spent the last two seasons at the University of Connecticut, joining the school after six years in Jokerit’s youth program. Salminen has scored 17 points in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, playing in 27 games last year and 35 this year. He’s managed the scoring while serving in UConn’s middle six, averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time this season.
The Devils drafted Salminen in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a strong year with Jokerit’s U20 club. He’s praised as a smooth-moving playmaker, with the ability to fill his role in the middle lane of the ice, making an impact from slot to slot. And while he’s continued to show strong puck skills at UConn, Salminen could improve how he works into dangerous areas of the ice. He’ll look to build those skills as he adjusts to a new offense.
Salminen was originally committed to the University of Denver, swapping his commitment just a couple of months before his debut with UConn after reportedly facing challenges with Denver’s admissions. No schools have been linked to Salminen now that he’s returned to the open market, but it’s hard not to think previous connections could drive a move out West.
Other notes out of the NCAA:
- The Boston Bruins are reportedly not in on prolific winger Collin Graf, says NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). Graf is now on the open market after a strong collegiate career, managing 130 points across 112 collegiate games. The Bruins are always popular names in NCAA free agency – already signing Drew Bavaro, Ryan Bischel, Riley Duran, and Jaxon Nelson this Spring. But they’ll stray away from leading-scorer Graf, who is receiving plenty of interest from the rest of the league – with Divver adding that Graf has narrowed his list to six teams. He’s expected to sign in the coming days.
- Top Calgary Flames goalie prospect Arsenii Sergeyev has entered the transfer portal and quickly decided on a new school – confirming a move from UConn to Pennsylvania State University through a social media post (Twitter link). Sergeyev will hope to step into Penn State’s starting role, after splitting starts in both of his seasons with UConn. He’s been fantastic in his underclassmen starts, managing 19 wins and a .913 save percentage in 35 appearances. It’s a continuation of Sergeyev’s strong USHL career, where he posted 30 wins and a .913 save percentage in 43 games. The Flames drafted Sergeyev in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft. His early return has been incredibly positive, though Calgary will hold their breath as he moves to a highly competitive Big Ten conference.
Bruins Sign Jaxon Nelson To Entry-Level Deal
The Bruins have signed top college free agent center Jaxon Nelson to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. He will finish this season on an ATO with AHL Providence.
Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reported yesterday that Boston was in on Nelson. According to Jess Myers of The Rink Live, the Penguins and Red Wings were finalists for his services.
Nelson, 24, finished his five-year run at the University of Minnesota last weekend when Boston University bounced them in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament. As one of the team’s captains this season, Nelson broke out for a career-high 19 goals and 31 points in 39 games. Interest in him on the open market spiked over the last few weeks, as he closed out the season with a ridiculous 11 goals and two assists for 13 points in his final eight games. In 169 games with the Golden Gophers, the Minnesota native scored 42 goals and 47 assists for 89 points, with 69 PIMs and a +22 rating.
A bulky, physical center, Nelson is among the most NHL-ready players available on this year’s undrafted free-agent market. He’s a polished product after five years in school, and he has ideal size down the middle at 6’4″ and 220 lbs. Bruins GM Don Sweeney cited Nelson’s “leadership qualities as captain of a very successful collegiate program” as one of the more significant reasons they pursued him.
The Bruins will hope he can challenge for a roster spot next fall. They’ll have some turnover in their bottom six, with Danton Heinen, Pat Maroon, and James van Riemsdyk headed for unrestricted free agency. Nelson cracking the squad at his $870K cap hit would provide a cost-effective plug and allow Sweeney to pursue more impactful targets on the open market. He’ll be waivers exempt until he reaches 60 career NHL games or spends two seasons under contract. Upon the end of his deal in the summer of 2025, he’ll be an RFA.
Poll: Who’s Going To Win The Presidents’ Trophy?
Nearly half of the current playoff field has clinched postseason berths, so attention is quickly turning to playoff positioning battles and who can finish atop the regular-season standings with just over two weeks left in the campaign. The field is crowded at the top, with seven teams within five points of first place.
The Rangers currently hold the edge as the only 50-win team and 104 points (.703 points percentage), ranking among the top six teams in both goals for and goals against. Leading them across the board offensively is winger Artemi Panarin, who should get some outside Hart Trophy consideration with a career-high 44 goals and 107 points. Season-ending injuries to Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler have damaged their forward depth, but early returns on their trade deadline replacements, Jack Roslovic and Alexander Wennberg, have been positive. With top-five defenseman Adam Fox leading their blue line and one of the better goalie duos in the league this year with Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers are looking to win the Presidents’ Trophy for only the fourth time in their 98-year history and the first since 2014-15.
Moving over to the crowded Central Division, the Stars are keeping pace at the top of the division with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10. Their 103 points and .687 points percentage are both second in the league, but they’ll need some help to catch the similarly hot Rangers, who’ve played one less game. Fuelled by an incredibly deep forward corps and a breakout season from 22-year-old Thomas Harley alongside Miro Heiskanen on the team’s top defense pair, Dallas is chasing its first division title since 2016, when Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza all had 30-goal years and powered the league’s best offense. After shoring up their blue line with deadline pickup Chris Tanev and boosting their third line with the promotion of rookie Logan Stankoven from the minors, the Stars are hoping to make back-to-back Conference Final appearances for the first time since appearing in three straight from 1998 to 2000.
Hot on Dallas’ tails for guaranteed home-ice advantage through Round Three are the breakout Canucks, whose jump from 24th to fourth in goals against has fuelled their first trip to the postseason (sans the 2020 bubble) in nine years. A franchise record-breaking season from Quinn Hughes on the blue line, plus a rebound from Thatcher Demko in the crease, have created the core for what Vancouver hopes is a lengthy era of contention with J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson centering their top two lines. Some view them as the NHL’s flukiest team with a league-high 9.8% shooting percentage and 102.8 PDO at 5-on-5, a narrative they’ll look to dispel by extending their season into May and June.
The new-look Avalanche went big-game hunting at the trade deadline and remain in contention for division and league titles, tied with Vancouver with a .676 points percentage (100 points in 74 games). With new faces Brandon Duhaime, Casey Mittelstadt, Yakov Trenin, and Sean Walker providing reinforcements in the absence of captain Gabriel Landeskog for a second straight season, Colorado will look to stay hot down the stretch and avenge last year’s first-round upset at the hands of the Kraken.
Over in the East, the Bruins, Hurricanes and Panthers remain in the hunt for the regular-season title, but at three or more points behind the Rangers with no games in hand, it seems unlikely with New York on a hot streak. MoneyPuck awards each of them less than a 4% chance at capturing the first-overall crown.
Tell us – who’s your pick to win the Presidents’ Trophy and aim to become the first regular-season champion since 2013 to hoist the Stanley Cup?
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Maroon Has Skated For Three Straight Days, Nearing Return
- Bruins winger Pat Maroon has skated for three straight days now as he works his way back from back surgery. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters including Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe that at this point, it will be his conditioning that determines when he’s cleared to return. Boston picked up Maroon from Minnesota at the trade deadline and will be looking to add his physicality to their fourth line in the near future.