By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on X @cookejournalism
Less than 24 hours removed from the Boston Bruins’ first win in the post-Jim Montgomery era, the B’s were active on the transaction wire Friday morning. After Marc McLaughlin was seen at Warrior Arena skating with the big club, the team announced his promotion. The corresponding move has Georgii Merkulov on his way back to Providence.
McLaughlin, who is currently riding a five-game goal streak in Providence, is getting rewarded for his consistent 200-foot game in the American Hockey League. Skating in 15 games this season, he’s put up 5-5-10 in what has been a strong start to his third full season with the organization. McLaughlin played in one game for Providence in 2021-22 after three seasons at Boston College.
Since then, the Billerica, Mass. native has had some opportunities with his hometown Bruins. In that 2021-22 season, McLaughlin got off to a hot start in the NHL, recording three goals in an 11-game stretch. He was called up for two games the following year and one contest last season, scoring a goal in a loss to the New York Islanders.
McLaughlin was one of the many players with eyes on him through training camp, receiving high praise from Providence bench boss Ryan Mougenel. Not a flashy player, McLaughlin has established himself in the professional ranks by being a reliable option on both ends of the ice. At 6-foot, 202 pounds, he is far from the biggest body on the ice sheet but plays with an edge that makes him hard to play against.
McLaughlin will certainly bring a different look to the Bruins than Merkulov, who was returned to Providence after a three-game span with Boston where he recorded one assist. Merkulov showed positives in his stint on Causeway, even earning some time on Joe Sacco’s first power play unit in Thursday’s win over Utah. But other than that, he was a -3 in Boston’s abysmal showing against the Columbus Blue Jackets and hasn’t made a sizeable enough impact to force Don Sweeney’s hand.
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