Bruins seemingly reversing course with Pat Maroon
The Bruins knew that Pat Maroon was not at 100 percent when they acquired him from Minnesota.
Undergoing back surgery in early February, the Bruins knew they would be without Maroon for at least two additional weeks.
It’s why the late-round draft pick sent to the Wild in the trade was a conditional one, and required the 35-year-old Maroon to appear in at least one playoff game for the club. The Bruins were (and are) OK with that risk given what they view as a value-add postseason presence whenever Maroon does jump into action. But it appears that the Bruins were not OK with the recovery process the Wild had Maroon on, as the Bruins have seemingly put a stop to Maroon’s solo skating.
Speaking after Wednesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery noted that Maroon has not started skating since coming to Boston, and called Maroon “week-to-week” as he recovers from back surgery. That update went against an update from Maroon himself, who noted that he had just started skating prior to his trade from the Wild to the Bruins.
“No timeframe, all I can give you is I’m skating a little bit,” Maroon said last Saturday.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney also noted that Maroon had ‘started to get back on the ice’ ahead of the trade.
So, unless Montgomery is speaking out of turn (and that’d be unlikely in the sense that we’ve yet to see Maroon on the ice), it appears that the Bruins have made a change of plans when it comes to Maroon’s recovery workload.
“If we’re not doing it, it’s because [Bruins manager of player rehabilitation] Scotty Waugh and the professionals we have think the best thing is to gradually bring him back onto the ice,” Montgomery said.
With 15 games to go, the Bruins do have time on their side (they have the most time off between now and the start of the playoffs given that they’ve played the most games in the league), and it’s worth noting that the Bruins immediately approached the Maroon addition as one where they simply weren’t going to rush anything.
“We’ll just let that play out, get accustomed with our medical team, and let him progress,” Sweeney said in his first press conference following the Maroon trade. “We know when he plays his best hockey.
“The fact is that he’s been part of championship teams, and the pedigree that he has, and what he brings to the table, I think was important to us on and off the ice, and we’re excited to bring Pat on board.”
Bruins sign one of top NCAA free agents
Michigan State forward Isaac Howard (22), Notre Dame forward Patrick Moynihan (18), and Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro (24) battle for the puck during the Michigan State-Notre Dame game at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana.
During his junior year at ND, the 6-foot-3 Bavaro posted six goals and 19 points in 37 games played. Bavaro’s 19 points were the fifth-most among all Irish skaters that season, and his 41 blocks ranked third on the club.
Drew Bavaro, signed by BOS, blasts a one timer from the point against UMich the other day. He’ll report to Providence on an ATO for the rest of the year. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/AElDX9iC1X
— Robert Chalmers (@IvanIvanlvan) March 12, 2024Overall, Bavaro’s two-season run with the Fighting Irish included 16 goals and 39 points in 72 games.
Notre Dame defenseman Drew Bavaro (24) shoots the puck during the Penn State-Notre Dame NCAA hockey game on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana.
And though he’s a Florida native, Bavaro does come to the Bruins with some ties to Massachusetts.
Bavaro played his high school hockey with Lawrence Academy from 2015 through 2019, and also played with the Neponset Valley River Rats (Canton, Mass.) during that stretch. And after spending one year with BCHL Wenatchee, Bavaro embarked on a two-year run with Waltham’s Bentley University before joining Notre Dame.
At Bentley, Bavaro posted 11 goals and 39 points over 52 games played.
A detailed view of the Boston Bruins’ logo on a player’s sweater during a game. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
And, again, Bavaro is just the latest college free agent gamble made by the Bruins, which is nothin’ new to this club.
In fact, Bavaro is now the fourth notable NCAA free agent addition made by the Bruins in the last two years, joining a group featuring forward John Farinacci (12 goals and 31 points in 56 games for Providence this season), forward Marc McLaughlin (four goals in 14 NHL games since 2022), and goaltender Brandon Bussi.
2024 AHL All-Star Georgii Merkulov is also a college free agent addition in the B’s pipeline.
