Bruins activate defenseman Brandon Carlo from IR

The Boston Bruins have Brandon Carlo back, activating him from his latest stint on injured reserve with a concussion. To make room on the active roster, Jakub Lauko has been assigned to the AHL.

It’s good news for both Carlo and the Bruins that the 25-year-old was able to come back, having missed only a handful of games with this latest head injury. It is the fifth (documented) concussion that Carlo has had since entering the league. The big defenseman will skate next to Mike Reilly Tuesday as he makes his return against the Dallas Stars.

Unfortunately for Lauko, he’s a victim of contract status this time around. The young forward was the only waiver-exempt player on the roster, though there were other options the Bruins could have moved out. Reilly and Nick Foligno both have time left on their clock after clearing waivers earlier this month, meaning they could have been re-assigned instead. That wasn’t likely, but it was possible if they wanted to keep the 22-year-old in the lineup.

Lauko has been rather good so far in limited minutes, even if he does have only one point to show for it. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by A.J. Greer, who was made a healthy scratch even after his five-point start to the season. The 25-year-old has averaged just over ten minutes a night in the games he has played and will be on the fourth line with Foligno and Tomas Nosek Tuesday.