Blue Jackets Asst. GM Josh Flynn One Of Ten Scouts At Bruins-Sabres

Scouts row was packed for the Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres game at TD Garden Thursday night as a total of ten scouts were in attendance. Of note, were the Columbus Blue Jackets who had Assistant General Manager Josh Flynn and former Bruins forward and current Blue Jackets Development Coach Gregory Campbell taking in the action between the two Atlantic Division rivals.

There was no word on whom all these scouts might be honing in on, but the buzz lately is that the Sabres would like to add another top nine, maybe even top 6 forward and are willing to move a defenseman. Remember that throughout last season, the offseason and heading into this season, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was rumored to be the odd-man-out on the Sabres blue line. If he was the Sabres blueliner scouts were eyeing, he made an instant impression scoring a powerplay goal 5:25 into the game to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead at the time.

Former Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli – who won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 – and St. Louis Blues consultant to the General Manager was also taking in a Bruins game for the third time in the Bruins’ last five home games. Chiarelli is now based in the New England area.

The New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Los Angeles Kings and Seattle also had pro scouts at TD Garden Thursday. Seattle scout Dave Hunter is based in Boston and also scouts AHL and NCAA hockey in the New England area for the NHL’s soon-to-be 32nd franchise.