Could big winger Pat Maroon be making his Boston Bruins debut next week?
The Bruins acquired Maroon from the Minnesota Wild just prior to the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for forward Luke Toporowski and a 2026 sixth-round conditional draft pick. Unfortunately for the Bruins and their fans, Maroon, 35, has yet to play for the Bruins. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound winger has been on injured reserve since undergoing back surgery in early February and had resumed skating just prior to the trade. When Maroon arrived in Boston, the expectation was that he would be ready to play on or around April 8, and it appears ‘The Big Rig’ is still on target, maybe even ahead of schedule.
“He’s doing better,” Montgomery said of Maroon after practice on Friday in Washington D.C. ahead of his team’s big tilt with the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
“I think it’s three days in a row now on the ice, and looking better and better. It’s just a matter of getting his conditioning up now.”
Pat Maroon has four goals and 16 points in 49 games this season. In 778 regular-season games, Maroon has scored 121 goals and 304 points. The St. Louis native also has 23 goals and 28 assists in 150 games. However, the Bruins did not acquire Maroon for his offensive prowess but rather for his size, grit, and championship pedigree. Maroon has won three Stanley Cups, winning one with the St. Louis Blues against the Bruins in 2019 and then back-to-back with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
“Another player that knows how to play the right way,” Montgomery replied when asked what Maroon will bring to the Boston Bruins lineup. “Knows how to win, knows the physical element, understands momentum, and understands how to create offense down low.”
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