Bruins make numerous additions to taxi squad roster
With injuries and inconsistencies plaguing their game, and with a four-game road swing beginning Monday night in Pittsburgh, the Bruins made a call to Providence for a stack of reinforcements sent to the team’s taxi squad.
Beginning up front, the Bruins have added Karson Kuhlman and Oskar Steen to the squad, which already featured Anton Blidh and Greg McKegg, both of whom were summoned back to Boston this past Saturday.
Oct 3, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Bruins center Karson Kuhlman (83) in action during the game between the Stars and the Bruins at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Kuhlman has appeared in three NHL games this season, with five shots on goal and four hits to his name. He last played for the Big B’s on Feb. 28, and has totaled three goals and a plus-6 rating in five games with Providence this season.
The ‘feisty’ Steen, meanwhile, comes to the Bruins on his first career recall with three goals and eight points in 12 AHL games this season. Steen can play both center and the wing, but has played the former this season.
On the backend, 5-foot-8 defenseman Jack Ahcan will join the B’s taxi squad after beginning his professional career with one goal and seven points through 12 games with Providence. He’ll join a taxi squad defense with Steven Kampfer, and with a jump into the first NHL action of his career only a injury or two away from happening with the Bruins still without Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller, John Moore, and Jeremy Lauzon.
The Bruins will also bring goaltender Jeremy Swayman up to the team’s taxi squad for the start of this trip. In just his first professional season, Swayman has been downright ridiculous in 2021, with a perfect 7-0-0 record, 1.57 goals against average, and .942 save percentage. With Tuukka Rask’s injury “lingering,” Swayman seems likely to begin the trip as the Bruins’ No. 3 goalie behind Jaroslav Halak and Daniel Vladar. (It’s believed that Vladar or Swayman will start one of these games in Pittsburgh should Rask continue to remain out of action for the Black and Gold.)
Boston will begin the week in fourth place in the East Division by way of a 14-7-4 record.
