WILMINGTON, Mass. — The Boston Bruins took the ice at Ristuccia Arena on Monday for their final training camp sessions ahead of Tuesday’s preseason opener.
Forwards David Pastrnak (shoulder) and Gregory Campbell (mid-core) both were absent from practice after also sitting out Sunday night’s Black & Gold scrimmage. Defenseman Linus Arnesson (groin), the Bruins’ second-round draft pick in 2013, also missed the session but was on the ice for a post-practice skate.
— Head coach Claude Julien wouldn’t comment on how Pastrnak’s absence will affect the first-round pick’s chances of making the NHL roster out of camp, but he did clarify that his shoulder injury is not serious.
“It’s not a dislocated shoulder; it’s nothing like that,” Julien told reporters. “It’s some sort of a bruised shoulder, so we’ve got to wait and see how it heals.”
Pastrnak is considered day to day.
— Roughly half of the team will travel Tuesday to Montreal for a preseason matchup with the Canadiens. Julien said the players will be notified Monday afternoon of which ones will be making the trip.
— Julien watched Sunday’s intrasquad scrimmage from high above the ice, giving him an opportunity to evaluate as his players readjusted to game speed.
“We saw some good things, but it was still a typical first game, a little bit sloppy at times,” Julien said. “But there’s some guys that played well and really showed that they’re ready to do. And other players that are fighting for spots showed that they’re ready to battle for spots.”
When pressed, the coach singled out defensemen Chris Casto and Joe Morrow and forward Alex Khokhlachev as young players who put on strong performances.
— Simon Gagne is one of three players attending Bruins camp on a tryout basis after sitting out the entire 2013-14 season. Gagne acknowledged Monday that he isn’t yet back to 100 percent, but Julien said he has seen improvement from the 34-year-old forward.
“I look at him and I see a guy who, from the first day to today, he’s getting better all the time,” the coach said. “(It’s) another reason for those preseason games to be important for guys like him, and for us to be able to evaluate how good he is. At the same time, we may have to project. If he continues to improve throughout the preseason, and we can project that he’s going to be better, then that helps us make a decision, as well.”
— Daniel Paille has played on a line with Gagne and Ryan Spooner through the early part of training camp. Paille is in a rare position of uncertainty this preseason with longtime linemate Shawn Thornton now suiting up for the Florida Panthers.
“It’s just been a little bit unpredictable,” Paille said after the first practice session Monday, “but definitely interesting. Knowing that the last few years, I kind of knew where I was going to play. This year, I’m not sure where. I could even be on the right (wing), but it looks like at this point it’s still on the left. It’s just a matter of working at it throughout this training camp and being ready for the start of the season.”
