The Boston Bruins will be without two of their bottom-nine for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forwards David Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom will sit for the contest due to upper-body injuries. The NHL announced the news on Friday afternoon.
The Bruins will be without David Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom and when they play the Leafs on Saturday. Patrice Bergeron missed practice Friday, but is expected to play Saturday. @AmalieBenjamin has the update from Boston.https://t.co/7rjk8Zfece
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 18, 2019
Boston Bruins David Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom Out Saturday
Neither Krejci nor Nordstrom has done much damage this year. They have a combined one goal on 13 shots and two points. Krejci has been the bigger disappointment as he has missed a couple of games already and is far off his 2018-19 pace. He scored 20 goals and 73 points last season. Nordstrom only scored seven and 12 but was an effective physical presence with 52 blocks and 86 hits.
The Bruins haven’t missed their lack of production so far as the top line of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron is, once again, performing like one of the best in the league. However, someone beyond that trio will need to score at some point as two of them are shooting no less than 25 percent. That is typically unsustainable over a whole season. The team’s best immediate hope is that former Minnesota Wild Charlie Coyle acclimates to the second line soon. Coyle was a solid option in Minnesota with six seasons of at least 30 points in his eight-year career.
Going Forward
Boston has several options in addition to Coyle for the short-term. Par Lindholm could step in as the third centre and David Backes could see time either on the third over Lindholm or on the fourth. They could also opt to bring a player up from AHL Providence instead. Former fifth-round pick Anders Bjork is doing quite well with three goals and six points in six games. It would also make sense to see Trent Frederic called up. The former first-round pick from 2016 has played in just 15 NHL games but could be a useful bottom-six forward thanks to his gritty style Boston enjoys. Boston will be fine without their two experienced forwards but it does create short-term holes in the roster.
Main Photo: BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: David Krejci #46 of the Boston Bruins shoots the puck in tech first period of a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 25, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
