Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins Recall Jakub Lauko on Emergency Basis
The Boston Bruins are attempting to find spots where they can find rest for their veterans and utilize some depth on their NHL roster, and those efforts will step up in earnestness as the B’s get ready for a five game road trip.
This road trip through the middle of March, following the Boston Bruins 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, is a point in the calendar that the Bruins have circled as the time to begin affording their players a little more rest ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s part of being a team that was the fastest in NHL history to record 50 wins while holding a ridiculous 17-point lead in the Atlantic Division. They are also a team facing a stretch of five games in eight days on the road, and overall eight games in 11 days dating back to Saturday’s win, so now will be the time to sprinkle in some rest for players about to hit a taxing stretch where injuries could crop up if it’s not managed properly.
“I think that as our schedule starts to get a lot of games here there might be games where [Hampus] Lindholm or [Charlie] McAvoy or Orlov are sitting out,” said Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. “Maybe two defensemen are sitting out and we’ll have an opportunity to get [Jakub] Zboril a game.
“It’s about scheduling when we can maximize days off for [players that need it] and decrease the amount of volume that they are on the ice. We’re probably not looking to start that this weekend, but the [upcoming] road trip.”
That means Zboril may get in a game or two on the back end after playing very sparingly since the end of November, and even less once Dmitry Orlov was entered into a mix that now has Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo, Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton rotating in and out of a crowded blue line group.
The Boston Bruins have already begun giving extra rest to some of their forwards as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci benefited from with a day away from the practice ice earlier this week, and that may also continue with the emergency callup of Jakub Lauko from Providence. The Bruins ostensibly called the 22-year-old Lauko up from Providence due to some kind of forward injury on the Boston roster, but it’s also part of the post-NHL trade deadline roster rules where all teams are afforded only four total callups aside from emergency recalls.
Lauko enjoyed a two-goal game just a couple of weeks ago as he’s shown a blend of skill and grit while suiting up for the B’s.
Jakub Lauko with his second career goal.
He's continued to impress whenever he's slotted into the lineup.
2-0 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/Ma7pR0x4Zq
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 3, 2023
The emergency recall allows Lauko to travel with the team to Detroit for Sunday’s matinee against the Red Wings and potentially play if there is some kind of injury issues attacking the team’s depth right now. Lauko has three goals and five points in 12 games and has been an effective bottom-6 energy forward when he’s drawn into the NHL lineup this season.