Tragic News Hits The Boston Bruins Following Recent Announcement
Yesterday, there was a shift in the status of Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk from day-to-day to an absence from the current road trip, as revealed by head coach Jim Montgomery (reported by Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald). Unfortunately, it's anticipated that Grzelcyk will miss all three games on this road stretch. The defenseman left Tuesday's game against the Wild due to an upper-body injury, recording a -2 rating in 13:35 of ice time.
This marks Grzelcyk's second extended absence this season, having missed ten games in November with a previous upper-body injury. There's uncertainty about whether these two injuries are connected.
The Massachusetts-native defenseman is facing challenges in what is shaping up to be the toughest season of his NHL career. In the final year of a four-year, $14.75 million contract, Grzelcyk, known for his strong complementary play as a top-four defender, is experiencing a downturn in performance. This season, he has only notched one goal and holds a -3 rating in 20 games, averaging 17:04 per game�his lowest since his rookie season in 2017-18. Grzelcyk, usually paired with Charlie McAvoy when healthy, has struggled this season, reflected in his -3 rating and 48% Corsi share at even strength, both career lows.
With Grzelcyk sidelined, rookie Mason Lohrei will step into the lineup, pairing with McAvoy in the upcoming game against the Jets. Lohrei, at 22 years old, has shown promise in multiple stints on the Bruins' NHL roster this season, registering two goals, three assists, and a -4 rating in his first 15 NHL games, averaging 16:59 per contest.
| POLL | ||
Is this a big loss for the Bruins? | ||
| Yes | 483 | 69.6 % |
| No | 211 | 30.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
