The Boston Bruins announced that Torey Krug will be out for at least 3 weeks due to an ankle injury. For the 2nd straight season, the B’s will be without one of their top players to kick off the year.
Torey Krug can’t seem to catch a break. The Boston Bruins defenseman is one of the best in the league but seems to get hurt a lot. This disappointing trait has followed Krug into this season.
On Monday the Bruins announced that Krug will be missing at least 3 weeks because of an ankle injury.
Obviously, you hate to see this. Krug is coming off a career year. Last season he appeared in 76 games and had 14 goals and 45 assists.
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Krug isn’t known for his prowess in the Bruins zone, but when Krug patrols the point he is a deadly weapon. He is one of the top offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL.
This injury will affect the Bruins a lot. Krug could be a top defenseman on other teams. You never want to lose a top talent like him. The entire team will have to step their game up.
Since Krug is out some players will get an opportunity to show what they can do in the NHL. We may see another rookie defenseman swoop in and become a star.
Matt Grzelcyk did it last year for the B’s, Who will be the next guy?
So here are 3 takeaways from the Torey Krug injury news.
The John Moore move pays off
A lot of Bruins fans were caught off guard when the B’s signed John Moore in the offseason. The Bruins already had a boatload of quality defenseman in both the NHL and in Providence.
Even after the Bruins traded Adam McQuaid to the New York Rangers, they still had plenty of defensemen. Well, the move appears to have paid off.
Moore is a similar player to Torey Krug. That’s probably why trade rumors began to spread after the B’s acquired Moore.
Moore is a quality puck-moving defenseman who can move the puck similar to Krug. With some serious talent around him, I think Moore could put up some nice numbers.
So it appears that the Bruins were smart to go out and get Moore. Now we have to wait and see what he can do when the regular season is underway.
The Bruins also have another new impact who may have earned himself a roster spot.
Hello Urho
With Torey Krug out, the Boston Bruins will have to carry an extra defenseman they may not have planned to before the preseason. Urho Vaakanainen made a name for himself in the preseason and I think he earned himself a spot on the roster.
Vaakanainen is a strong defenseman. He is a big guy on the ice and you can notice it watching him skate. I wouldn’t expect a lot of goals, but if you want a quality stay at home defenseman, Vaakanainen is your guy.
Urho has some advantages compared to other rookies. He has been playing against men in Finland so he may be better adjusted to the style of play in the NHL. The Fins may play a more skilled game than here in the States, but I think Vaakanainen will fit in seamlessly.
I think that Bruins fans should keep an eye on him as he could become the Matt Grzelcyk of the 2018 season.
Matt Grzelcyk needs to get healthy
Matt Grzelcyk is coming off a quality rookie season. The Charlestown kid scored 3 goals and 12 assists in 61 games. Grzelcyk also had a rating of +21.
Krug’s absence leaves a big hole in the Bruins scoring ability and powerplay. If Grzelcyk can play I would expect him to replace Krug on the powerplay.
Grzelcyk is currently dealing with a lower-body injury and his status for Wednesday’s opener is still up in the air. The Bruins offense would definitely take a hit if Krug and Grzelcyk were unable to play.
It will be an interesting test for the Bruins. It’s sink or swim and if the Bruins struggle it could show how important Torey Krug is to the team, but maybe the Bruins will be just fine without Krug.
The Boston Bruins season hasn’t even started and they are already dealing with obstacles. It looks like it is going to be a fun season here in Boston.