The Boston Bruins announced four roster cuts Wednesday.
Forwards Ryan Spooner, Justin Florek and Alexander Khokhlachev, as well as goaltender Jeremy Smith have been released from training camp. They will join the Providence Bruins’ AHL camp. Smith needs to clear waivers before he can go to Providence.
Spooner is the surprise member of this group. The former second-round draft pick is a talented offensive player and provides an element of speed that Boston lacks throughout its lineup. We saw his skill set in action during the first preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens, when he scored a nice goal after forcing a turnover.
Spooner projects to be a top-six forward, and with the Bruins not having an open spot on the top two lines after the signing of Reilly Smith, there really was nowhere for Spooner to play. There’s no reason to put him on the third or fourth line in limited ice time when he can play top-line minutes in Providence and continue to work on his defensive game. Injuries are a common problem in the NHL regular season, so we should see Spooner back in Boston at some point.
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said at the start of training camp that there were four forward spots open. Smith’s signing eliminates one, and based on Matt Fraser’s excellent performance in the preseason, he appears to be a near-lock for a spot. (He also requires waivers if cut). That would leave two spots, with Jordan Caron, Simon Gagne, Craig Cunningham, Bobby Robins and 2014 first-round pick David Pastrnak competing for those jobs.
The final two preseason games will provide the Bruins coaching staff with more time to evaluate these players. Boston plays the New York Islanders on Friday and the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
The regular season begins Oct. 8.
