In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, Bruins forward Milan Lucic is taking an indefinite leave of absence. In other news, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk took another step forward in his injury recovery. Meanwhile, Patrick Brown is back on waivers for the second time this last season. Lastly, what are the Bruins’ plans for their goalies? Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s (Nov. 18) Bruins News & Rumors column.
Lucic Takes Indefinite Leave of Absence
The Bruins released a statement to reporters, including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, saying that Lucic is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the club after an alleged domestic incident. Here is the full statement from the club:
“The Boston Bruins are aware of an incident involving Milan Lucic Friday evening. Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously, and will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need. We will have no further comment at this time.
Boston Bruins
WCVB 5’s Duke Castiglione also confirmed that Lucic was arrested early Saturday morning (Nov. 18) for the alleged domestic incident.
Lucic, 35, reunited with the Bruins by signing a one-year contract during the offseason. Since then, he has only been limited to four games due to a long-term ankle injury, posting two assists and eight hits. He was close to returning, but things have now changed on that front due to this indefinite leave of absence.
Grzelcyk Returns to Practice
The Bruins had a notable player at yesterday’s (Nov. 17) practice, as defenseman Matt Grzelcyk participated. The Massachusetts native has not played since Oct. 30, but head coach Jim Montgomery recently told reporters that he expects Grzelcyk to be ready to go for the club’s contest against the New York Rangers next Saturday (Nov. 25).
Grzelcyk, 29, has played in nine games this season for the Bruins, posting one goal and a plus-2 rating. Overall, it was a fairly quiet start for him before his injury, and he will look to heat up once he is officially back in the lineup.
Brown Back On Waivers
For the second time this season, the Bruins have placed Brown on waivers. The 31-year-old was initially placed on waivers at the start of the season after failing to make the NHL roster. Now, after not making too much of an impact during this call-up, he is back on the waiver wire.
Brown’s placement on waivers was pretty predictable, as he was the odd man with their forward group. He only appeared in one out of the Bruins’ last seven games, as players like Danton Heinen and Oskar Steen earned more chances. With that, he failed to get on the scoresheet in each of his six games.
If Brown clears waivers, he will rejoin the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). Given the fact that he has an extra year on his contract, teams may elect to let him pass through waivers unclaimed.
Montgomery Shares Plans With Goalies
While speaking with reporters, Montgomery shared what he expects to do with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman moving forward this season. He said that he expects the team to continue rotating their goalies, even with their schedule getting busier. Also, when asked if he would be open to keeping the rotation going during the postseason, he said, “For sure.”
Last season, the Bruins broke away from the goalie rotation during the postseason, and the final result will never be forgotten. Thus, it is not surprising to hear that Montgomery is open to keeping the tandem intact during the playoffs. First, the Bruins will need to get there, of course.
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