Bruins Roster Changes: Assign Three, Returning To Health

The Boston Bruins have made some roster changes, as they assigned three players to AHL Providence on Sunday night. The club assigned forwards Paul Carey and Trent Frederic along with defenseman Urho Vaakanainen. Carey made his season debut on Saturday night, replacing Patrice Bergeron. Frederic, meanwhile, has appeared in two games this season, playing Friday in Toronto and on Saturday against the Capitals. Vaakanainen has played in three games with the Bruins this season, while appearing in 15 down in Providence.

Carey was recalled on Saturday to replace the injured Bergeron, who missed the second half of a back-to-back set dealing with a lower-body injury. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Saturday that Bergeron is day-to-day. “Finished [Friday] night in discomfort. If it wasn’t back to back, think he’d play. Don’t want him to miss 4 or 5 games.”

Bergeron and Torey Krug could both be back in the lineup tomorrow when the Bruins take on the New Jersey Devils. If that’s the case, the assignments of Vaakanainen and Carey make sense. Frederic, recalled to replace the injured Zach Senyshyn, is a little more interesting of an assignment.

With Frederic back to AHL Providence, the Bruins roster could see the return of another forward in the short term. Brett Ritchie has been dealing with an upper-body injury, while Jake DeBrusk could also see a return to action soon.

In other injury news, Karson Kuhlman (hairline tibia fracture) is on the LTIR, while there have been no updates on David Backes (upper-body). Senyshyn (lower-body) is out for at least four weeks. Defensemen Kevan Miller and John Moore have yet to play this season, but both are working their way back towards the lineup. Both are skating.

The Bruins return to action tomorrow night when they visit the New Jersey Devils. Puck drop is 7:00 pm on NESN.