( Photo credit: NHL.com )
By: Mandi Mahoney | Check me out on Twitter @phonymahoney
This afternoon, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced that the team made several transactions today, including recalling Peter Cehlarik and Trent Frederic from the American Hockey League and reassigning Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Ryan Donato to their AHL affiliate in Providence.
Cehlarik, a 23-year-old drafted by the Bruins at 90th overall in 2013, was originally called up earlier this month and made his season debut against the Flyers in Philadelphia. At this point, the Zilina, Slovakia native has skated in three games with the Black and Gold this season, tallying 2 goals and one assist for a total of three points. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward has been one of the Bruins’ better forwards in each of the three outings he’s played since being called up.
Cehlarik was reassigned to Providence of the AHL last week when the Bruins’ bye week began, as he wouldn’t have to pass through waivers and the Bruins wanted to keep him engaged and playing through the break. As expected last week, the Bruins recalled him as soon as the bye week ended, and he will likely pick up where he left off, playing alongside David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Cehlarik has enjoyed some good chemistry with his linemates and hopefully can keep up the good work with his return to the NHL, where he has notched three goals and four assists for a total of seven points in 20 games since the 2016-17 season.
Center Trent Frederic, a late first rounder drafted by the Bruins 29th overall in 2016, had a good training camp with the Bruins and was one of the more likely players to b center the third line coming into this season. Neither he nor Forsbacka Karlsson had a great preseason despite both having a strong camp, and both were reassigned to Providence to start off the season. Frederic will probably be making his NHL debut Tuesday night at home against Winnipeg. The St. Louis native was selected by the Bruins using the first round picked they received along with Sean Kuraly as a return in the Martin Jones trade (Marty, we hardly knew ye!).
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound American center is tough as nails and defensively responsible. Don’t be fooled by his willingness to drop the gloves, as Frederic is offensively gifted, as well, and has 10-7-17 totals in 37 games in the AHL this season. He’s currently riding a hot streak as well and scored two goals Friday night. Frederic played two seasons for the University of Wisconsin Badgers of the Big 10, where he tallied 32-33-65 totals in 66 games – not too shabby for a player labeled a bottom-six defensive forward and draft bust only a year or two ago. Prior to his two seasons in college hockey, Frederic suited up for the United States National Team Development Program, also known as the USA under-18 team, where he scored four goals and assisted on 11 for a total of 15 points in 24 games.
Both Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Ryan Donato have been with the Bruins’ NHL squad for the better part of this season, and both players have shown some solid NHL potential but have also struggled for the most part. Forsbacka Karlsson, a two-way center, has scored three goals and assisted on six, totaling nine points while playing mostly as the Bruins’ third line center in 28 NHL games this season. Ryan Donato has scored a few beautiful goals and reminded Bruins fans of the offensive potential he showed during the Olympics last February, but he’s had trouble lighting the lamp with any consistency this season, with 6-3-9 totals in 34 NHL games this season. JFK and Donato definitely can be NHL players, but each of them will benefit significantly from a stint in the AHL.
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