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The Boston Bruins made several cuts to their big league camp on Sunday night. The destinations for the departed ranged from Providence Bruins main camp, back to juniors, or sent home entirely.
Among the biggest moves made by the club, prospect forwards Jesse Gabrielle and Zachary Senyshyn were returned to their respective junior clubs for another season, while d-men Jeremy Lauzon and Jakub Zboril were also returned to their junior clubs.
There’s no doubt that both Lauzon and Zboril had moments that showed off their bright futures in town, but they were still too green to made a legitimate push for NHL minutes, at least in 2016-17. Gabrielle struggled to produce in what were some admittedly very low ice-time totals.
In the case of Senyshyn, whom many dubbed as a potential fit for the big league roster, there just was not enough of a look to accurately judge his progression without rushing him into an NHL role that still might be over his head. A lot of that comes back to Senyshyn’s rough summer that kept him off the ice for both B’s development camp in July and then their September prospects tournament in Buffalo. So he’ll return back to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League for yet another season, where he’ll likely dominate after a ridiculous 45-goal, 66-point campaign a year ago.
Closer to Boston, forwards Anton Blidh, Colby Cave, Peter Cehlarik, Colton Hargrove, Justin Hickman, defensemen Linus Arnesson and Matt Grzelcyk, and goaltenders Zane McIntyre and Daniel Vladar were assigned to the Providence Bruins. They were joined by Josh Atkinson, Chris Breen, Mark Naclerio, A.J. White, and goaltender Matt Ginn, who were released from Boston’s training camp and sent to Providence also. Defensemen Chris Casto, P-Bruins captain Tommy Cross, and Alex Grant were also placed on waivers with the intention of an assignment to the P-Bruins, too.
The Bruins also said so long to veteran forward Peter Mueller, who was released from his professional tryout with the club after just three preseason tilts. Back in the U.S. after three years in Europe, the 28-year-old rifled five shots on goal, two penalty minutes and a minus-2 in a three-game run. He will report to the P-Bruins on a tryout. Mueller’s cut from Bruins camp didn’t speak to his struggles -- he actually looked pretty decent given his three-year absence from North American ice and in spite of the zeros across the board on the score-sheet -- as much as it did the progression and hunger of some of Boston’s younger talents that still remain with the big club after the first, significant round of cuts.
Among those still in Boston’s main camp, Austin Czarnik and Danton Heinen seem to be the two that have forced Bruins head coach Claude Julien to take a longer look at what they could bring to a B’s table that’s already without Frank Vatrano ‘til Christmas.
Czarnik, a 5-foot-9 center, has recorded one goal and two points along with seven shots on goal in three preseason games, and his presence has led Julien to tinker with both David Backes and Ryan Spooner on the wing, at least for Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. Heinen, a player who can play either the left or right wing, has racked up three goals in three games.
On the back-end, Christian Ehrhoff (professional tryout) joined the Bruins for Monday’s practice, while youngsters Brandon Carlo and Robbie O’Gara remain in the big camp.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can also be read in the New England Hockey Journal magazine. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.