By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism
The Boston Bruins received reinforcements on the back end on Monday morning. After being sent to Providence on an LTI conditioning loan, Derek Forbort was recalled by the Bruins and was seen skating with the team in a regular practice jersey during morning skate. However, according to Jim Montgomery, he is not an option for Game 2 in Boston.
The 32-year-old has played in just 32 National Hockey League games this season while posting 0-4-4 before suffering injuries. He was placed on LTIR on December 7, returning to action in late January before being sidelined yet again. Forbort suited up in a pair of games in Providence over the weekend, where he collected a pair of penalty minutes and was a -1. Head coach Ryan Mougenel was encouraged by what he saw in his American Hockey League stint.
While Forbort is ruled out as an option for Game 2, the 6’4″ defenseman can still possibly enter the lineup at some point in Boston’s postseason run. But that is unlikely as long as Montgomery’s defensive core stays intact. Montgomery told reporters after Saturday’s 5-1 win that he liked Matt Grzelcyk’s play alongside partner Charlie McAvoy, whose spot in the depth chart was a question mark coming into the playoffs. Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm sure won’t be going anywhere, and Kevin Shattenkirk is occupying a new spot on Montgomery’s top power play unit.
Andrew Peeke isn’t necessarily engrained into the lineup card. Still, Boston’s trade deadline acquisition has proved his mettle as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman who can be counted on in the playoffs. Barring any injuries to that six, there doesn’t seem to be a spot for Forbort for the time being. The Bruins still even have Parker Wotherspoon on the back burner, waiting for an opportunity to see some ice. But as we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs, and having an extra body to travel to Toronto is always a positive in case of unforeseen circumstances. Until then, I would be surprised to see Forbort in a playoff game in this series.
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