Bruins place former top prospect on waivers

Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports Wednesday that the Bruins have placed defenseman Ian Mitchell on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Providence.

Mitchell, 24, made the Bruins’ opening night roster earlier this month after Boston acquired his signing rights in the Taylor Hall trade with the Blackhawks last summer. He’s appeared in just two of six contests this season, though, and can now be claimed by any team in the league after playing very limited minutes in his lone Bruins appearances.

Since turning pro with the Blackhawks in 2020, Mitchell has four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 84 games. He dealt with injuries last season that limited him to just 35 games in Chicago and only five games with AHL Rockford, although he did light up the minors with two goals and four assists in those five appearances.

A second-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2017, Mitchell was looking like a slam-dunk prospect after three strong seasons at the University of Denver, where he amassed 18 goals, 71 assists and 89 points in 116 games. He has been solid in the AHL since turning pro, but the point totals haven’t translated to NHL play yet. That’s partly because he’s yet to average more than 16 minutes a night in a single season, posting rather poor possession numbers against weak competition. He’ll need to improve his defensive game to earn an everyday NHL job.

That said, his strong showings in AHL play could be enough to convince a team to take a flyer on him and put in a claim. After all, he is making the league minimum salary of $775K on a one-year, one-way deal and will be under team control at the end of the season as a restricted free agent.

Whether or not the Bruins will make a corresponding transaction tomorrow after Mitchell’s stint on the waiver wire is over remains unknown. Losing Mitchell on waivers or assigning him to Providence leaves the team with just 13 forwards and six defensemen on the active roster, including injured forward Milan Lucic, who’s sidelined on a day-to-day basis.