The Boston Bruins announced that their top performing defenceman Torey Krug was placed on injured reserve. The team also stated that Steven Kampfer was recalled on an emergency basis from the AHL Providence Bruins.
#NHLBruins place Torey Krug on IR; recall Steven Kampfer from @AHLBruins on emergency basis: https://t.co/ypiumj0m4A
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 27, 2019
Torey Krug Lost Due to Injury
The 28-year-old blueliner has been an integral member of the Bruins success and will be missed. With five goals and 21 assists in 33 games his production will be difficult to replace. That will especially hold true on the power play where he has collected one goal and 14 assists thus far this 2019-20 season. It will also be difficult to replace his over 20 minutes of playing time. The Bruins like many NHL teams have been hit hard with injuries.
Krug only played 8:33 in the Bruins last game against the Washington Capitals and didn’t return in what is listed as an upper-body injury. It appears that a big hit from the Capitals Tom Wilson may have caused Krug’s injury.
Krug has played in 495 NHL games after being undrafted and signing with the Bruins in March 2012 out of Michigan State University where he played two seasons. He has collected 63 goals, 251 assists and 314 points while with Boston. There’s no doubt he will be missed. He has excellent possession stats with a CF% rating of 56.1 and a CF Relative of 7.2 this season.
What This Means Going Forward
The Bruins have hit a rough spot of late going 2-4-4 in their last 10 games. This has caused them to slip a bit in an effort to catch the cresting Washington Capitals for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Staying healthy is always the goal, but losing Krug for any extended length of time may not help in the endeavor.
Kampfer has appeared in just four games this season for the Boston club and has been scoreless. There’s no way he can replace Krug. It is hopeful that the team can get back into action Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres and repeat their success they showed in the Capitals game.
There is no time-line set for Krug’s return. For the Bruins, the sooner the better.
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