Urho Vaakanainen has been sidelined for most of February, and when the defenseman didn't travel with the Bruins to the West Coast for their ongoing six-game road trip, it didn't look as though his status would change anytime soon.
Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, however, offered a somewhat promising update on the 23-year-old when he spoke to reporters Friday.
"Maybe (he will return) early next week, if he comes around," Cassidy told reporters, as seen on team-provided video. "But right now I've been told not to plan on it for now. Could he meet us in Vegas and get involved in the last two games? I wouldn't rule that out."
Vaakanainen suffered an upper-body injury Feb. 1 and did return for two games on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19. But he was a late scratch ahead of Monday's game and stayed put in Boston while the team headed west. Whatever illness or injury he is dealing with now has not been disclosed.
The 2017 first-round pick (No. 18 overall) has four points (all assists) through 15 games this season.
Cassidy noted Thursday that Vaakanainen will need to join the team for practice before he suits up for a game, and he reinforced that Friday when he said Vaakanainen's ability to return would be affected by when he joins the team. The Bruins play Saturday against the San Jose Sharks and are off Sunday before a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
With that in mind, Vaakanainen's best bet to return would be to travel with some room to get ice time prior to Thursday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Bruins close out the trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 5.
The Bruins return home to TD Garden on March 7, when they will host the Kings.
