Bruins Considering Calling Up This Prospect For Blue Line Depth

The Boston Bruins could be down two defensemen heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Jim Montgomery and his staff will need to decide who fills up those vacancies.

Matt Grzelcyk exited Monday’s overtime win over the Flordia Panthers with an upper-body injury, and Montgomery told reporters after the game the defenseman would be out for a “couple of weeks.”

Charlie McAvoy received a match penalty in the final minutes of the matchup and will have a hearing with the NHL for his high hit on Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It’s unknown as of noon ET on Tuesday whether or not this will result in a fine, suspension or both.

Boston at least will need to fill out Grzelcyk’s spot on the active roster, and it has multiple options. Montgomery told reporters Mason Lohrei will be one of the names on the list, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson and The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan.

Lohrei had an impressive training camp and preseason, and the 2020 second-round pick was in contention to make the opening night roster. But Boston was set in its blue line, and the Ohio State product started the season in Providence. The 22-year-old has four points in seven AHL games this season, and his call-up would be fitting for the youth movement embodied by Matthew Poitras and Johnny Beecher.

However, the Bruins also have options in Ian Mitchell, Jakub Zboril and Alec Regula. Mitchell was acquired by Boston in an offseason trade that sent Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Blackhawks, and he’s played two games for Boston this season before he was sent down to Providence. Zboril was drafted by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft, and he’s been a consistent depth option having played 22 games last season. Regula also was part of the Chicago trade and started the season in Providence.

Whoever gets called up will join a Boston team that is among the top defenses and the top penalty kill in the league.