In this edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, there has been chatter lately that the Arizona Coyotes are gauging the market for defenceman Jakob Chychrun, and some believe the Bruins could be a perfect fit. In other news, Bruce Cassidy recently updated the media on the team’s COVID-19 situation. Meanwhile, defenceman Jakub Zboril will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL.
Chychrun to the Bruins?
In the past week, there has been plenty of talk surrounding Chychrun. The 23-year-old is having a rough go this season on a very bad Coyotes team, as through 26 games this season he has a plus/minus of minus29. Despite the down year, however, he showed in 2020-21 just how good he is capable of being, and as a result, plenty of teams are showing interest.
According to Joe Haggerty, the Bruins have interest in him and he believes it makes sense given their lack of talent on the left side of their blueline. Many will disagree given that this team is also in desperate need of a second-line centerman, but adding Chychrun would be very intriguing. Not only does he have a cap hit of just $4.6 million with three seasons remaining, but he put up a league-leading 18 goals from the back end last season. The asking price won’t be cheap, but it may be worth checking on for general manager Don Sweeney.
Cassidy Gives Update on COVID Situation
The Bruins are one of several teams who have been hit hard by COVID in its latest surge of positive cases, and on Tuesday it was announced that Brandon Carlo was their 10th player added to the leagues’ protocol list. He joins Brad Marchand, Craig Smith, Patrice Bergeron, Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic, Anton Blidh, Oskar Steen, Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar as Bruins players who currently have the virus.
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The good news, however, is that according to their head coach in Cassidy, none are feeling all too bad at the moment.
“A couple guys had a few symptoms. Other guys none,” Cassidy said. “I anticipate everyone that is eligible and meets that 10 days or tests out of it… they will join us on the ice on the 26th, I believe.”
Due to the outbreak in their locker room, the Bruins haven’t played since Dec. 16 in a game versus the New York Islanders. As things stand right now, they are set to return on Dec. 27 in a home tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Zboril Out for Season
Back on Dec. 2, Zboril was forced to leave a game versus the Nashville Predators due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old then underwent surgery last week, though it was still unclear exactly what the issue was. Unfortunately, news came out today that he suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
Zboril, who was taken 13th overall in the 2015 draft, appeared to finally be comfortable at the NHL level this season, as through 10 games he had three assists while playing just under 16 minutes a night. This is devastating news for the Czech defenceman who is in the final season of a two-year contract.
Up Next for the Bruins
As previously mentioned, the Bruins are set to return on Dec. 27 against the Penguins. They will then face the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday of that same week, followed by a back-to-back set against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. It is a relatively easy schedule that could help them climb their way back into a playoff spot, as they currently sit three points behind the Red Wings for the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.
