'He has an uncanny ability to make plays from behind the net and down low'
The Boston Bruins didn’t necessarily make a huge splash at the NHL trade deadline, but they did add two players, Andrew Peeke and Pat Maroon, who bring size and physicality.
Bruins fans may get a glimpse of Peeke in an upcoming game, but Maroon is a bit farther off from donning the Spoked-B since he had back surgery in February and is still a few weeks away from returning.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 234 pounds, the three-time Stanley Cup winner instantly improves the Bruins’ toughness and size and adds to the playoff mentality Boston wants to play with down the stretch.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said he could envision on paper where Maroon fits in the lineup, but he told reporters you have “to see it on the ice” and “see the chemistry” of the players who play well together.
Before his trade to Boston, Maroon had been playing on the third line for the Minnesota Wild, averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time. Montgomery would most likely use Maroon on the third or fourth line when he’s able to suit up for the Bruins.
“The thing I know about Pat Maroon is (he’s) someone we can put in offensive zone faceoffs,” Montgomery said after practice on Tuesday, per the team. “He’s gonna set picks. He’s gonna get to the net front. He’s gonna get behind the net. He has an uncanny ability to make plays from behind the net and down low.”
Maroon not only won three Cups, he did so in consecutive seasons. In 2019, he helped the St. Louis Blues win their first title in franchise history. He then won back-to-back titles with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 to complete the trifecta.