By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on X @cookejournalism
The transaction wire was busy on Saturday morning as the Boston Bruins made some additions to their roster ahead of a matinee matchup with the St. Louis Blues. Headlining the transactions are the recall of forwards Georgii Merkulov and Riley Tufte to the Bruins, followed by the assignment of Patrick Brown to the Providence Bruins. Hampus Lindholm has also been placed on injured reserve.
What stands out from these moves is obviously Merkulov, who will likely receive his first shot with the Bruins in 2024-25 after posting 2-9-11 in Providence to start the season. Merkulov played in four games in Boston last season, failing to record a point and untimely not finding his footing in the NHL. One of Boston’s most promising prospects was assigned to Providence after a preseason that didn’t force Bruins management to keep him with the B’s.
The offensive capabilities are hard to miss with Merkulov, who has the ability to make plays happen with his feet and elite playmaking. However, 200-foot play has been an issue, ultimately keeping him in Providence. If Merkulov slots into Jim Montgomery’s lineup on Saturday, he’ll certainly be a player to watch on the struggling Bruins.
Tufte will make the trip to Boston with Merkulov, who started this season with the big club after being inked as a free agent this summer. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Tufte can be a physical presence to Boston’s fourth line while packing some offensive abilities to his relentless game. We’ll see if he gets game action on Saturday. Tufte netted 3-1-4 in six games in the AHL since being sent down.
But with these promotions results with Brown being returned to Boston’s affiliate after a brief appearance with the Bruins that accounted for 12:42 of ice time in the club’s recent abysmal defeat to the Dallas Stars. Brown, who was recently tabbed as Providence’s captain, has been a fixture in Boston’s organization due to his professionalism and mentorship for prospects.
The bad news is Lindholm, who has officially been placed on injured reserve after exiting Tuesday’s matchup with the Blues. The destination sidelines Lindholm for at least seven days before he can return to game action, but it looks like the Bruins may be without their reliable blueliner for a little longer. Lindholm has been one of Boston’s best players this season, notching seven points while being a consistent stalwart on the backend. As far as the call-ups, we’ll see if this organizational shuffle makes an impact to Boston’s sluggish play as of late.
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