The Boston Bruins on Tuesday night made a move to bolster their blueline depth when they acquired the rights to Michael Callahan from the Arizona Coyotes.
Callahan is a Massachusetts native and a senior at Providence College. The Friars defenseman and three-year captain is a left-shot with 66 points in 134 collegiate games.
Callahan is a big body at 6-foot-2 and can move the puck well in the offensive zone. A sneaky wrist shot makes him a threat to goalies, but he puts his defensive game first without being afraid of trying to make an offensive move.
While this move isn't one that will make an immediate impact on the 2021-22 Bruins roster, it is one that comes with a low risk and high reward. Callahan also could report to the AHL this spring once his time at Providence is over. Of course, he would have to sign with the Bruins in order for that to happen.
No, acquiring the rights to Callahan does nothing right now for the Bruins, but it's a proactive move and one that adds more depth to their corps of young prospects. It's also a roll of the dice you should take every time for a seventh-round draft pick, which is what the Bruins gave up in the trade.
The Bruins are sitting in fourth place in the Atlantic Division as they embark on a west coast road trip that includes games against the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings. The B's probably need to make sort of move to bolster their scoring and/or defense if they want to match up against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs.
