The Boston Bruins have lost young top pair defenceman Jeremy Lauzon for at least the next 4 weeks with a fractured left hand. Lauzon left in the 1st period of Sunday’s NHL Outdoor game vs the Philadelphia Flyers in Lake Tahoe and did not return.
#NHLBruins issue update on Jeremy Lauzon (fractured left hand, reevaluated in approx. 4 weeks): https://t.co/BMIX9tZ0eH
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 24, 2021
Boston Loses Jeremy Lauzon
Jeremy Lauzon was having a breakout season showing outstanding defensive play on Boston’s top pair with Charlie McAvoy. He was averaging 18 minutes and 32 seconds of ice time per night and was a fixture on the Bruins top penalty-killing unit. This injury adds to an already depleted backend for the black and gold. Matt Grzelcyk, Jakub Zboril, and Kevan Miller all missed Sunday’s contest with an injury.
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Who’s Filling In?
With the additional loss of Lauzon, look for the Bruins to use Finnish 2017 first-round pick (18th overall) Urho Vaakanainen. He has seen just 8 games of NHL action in his career but looked good in his season debut in Lake Tahoe. Should Zboril, Grzelcyk and Miller all remain sidelined as well, veteran Steven Kampfer would be the next man up on Boston’s backend.
Vaakanainen is the likely candidate to replace Jeremy Lauzon’s spot in the lineup. He is Boston’s top defensive prospect who has been regarded by some as ready to play in the NHL. Vaakanainen not only looked good in his debut but also tallied an assist for his first NHL point. Should Boston opt to put Vaakanainen in Lauzon’s role, he could see playing time with Charlie McAvoy. This could be one of the top pairing combinations we see for years to come. Vaakanainen just needs to continue trending upwards
The Bruins are off Wednesday but will be in New York for back-to-back games. They are facing the New York Islanders on Thursday at Nassau Coliseum and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
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