Marc McLaughlin's time has come sooner than just about anyone expected.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy explained to reporters Sunday why Boston recalled the rookie forward from Providence on an emergency basis, just five days after the B's signed him as an undrafted free agent.
Cassidy received a rave review of McLaughlin from legendary Boston College Eagles head coach Jerry York and is keen to see whether the 22-year-old can make an impact in the NHL at the dawn of his professional career.
"I talked to Jerry (York) the other day," Cassidy said Sunday at a press conference. "(York) loves him as a person and I think (he) was his captain for two years. He's got a bit of Noel (Acciari) in his game in terms of straight-line (play) and been both center and winger in his career. I think Noel was prominently a center at Providence (College), but we used him in both spots. But I don't want to pigeonhole anybody. Let's get him out there and play. When it's his turn to go, then we'll be able to identify where he fits."
The early scouting report on McLaughlin that Cassidy offered suggests the youngster's mindset and work ethic might be his greatest assets.
"I know he shoots the puck hard and had some power play goals, so that's an area where maybe if we have a guy missing from the bumper he could add something," Cassidy said. "But it sounds like he's a Bruin. Hard-working guy, straight-line player and will give it his all every night. Again, we're going to try our best to get him in here as soon as we can, and not disrupt our flow. That's the plan with Marc."
McLaughlin is a native of North Billerica, Mass. If he impresses, he might debut for his hometown NHL team right away.
