Boston Bruins News

After a short three-game showing which saw him grab one assist and average 13:44 TOI, Georgii Merkulov has been reassinged to Providence (AHL) in exchange for Marc McLaughlin. Georgii returns to Providence where he excelled early in the season prior to his call-up, with two goals and 11 points in 12 games played.

In their first game in the post-Jim Montgomery era, Bruins' head coach Joe Sacco will turn to Korpisalo between the pipes. The 30-year-old Korpisalo has been serviceable, improving as the season goes on, posting a stellar .926 SV% in his last five outings (2-1-1). The Bruins enter the action on Thursday as -150 home favorites against the Utah Hockey Club, outscored 10-4 during a two-game losing skid.

Viel played in Boston's last game, his season debut, tallying seven penalty minutes and three hits in 8:29 time-on-ice. The 27-year-old Viel has four points (2G / 2A) in 14 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL) this season.

Minten was the second-round pick, 38th overall, of the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old made his NHL debut last season, going scoreless in four games with the Maple Leafs. He has four points (2G / 2A) in five games with the Marlies (AHL) this season. Minten will draw into the Maple Leafs lineup to replace David Kampf (lower body).

Minten was the second-round pick, 38th overall, of the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old made his NHL debut last season, going scoreless in four games with the Maple Leafs. He has four points (2G / 2A) in five games with the Marlies (AHL) this season.

Johnson will re-enter the Bruins lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jackets after missing the last two games due to personal reasons. Parker Wotherspoon will sit in his place as the Bruins opt for a more traditional lineup of 12 forwards and six defencemen.

Kastelic exited Saturday's game due to a lower-body injury and will not play on Monday. The 25-year-old Kastelic has been a force this season, averaging 11:57 time-on-ice, tallying a massive 75 hits, 24 penalty minutes, and seven points (3G / 4A) in 19 games.

Peeke has not played since November 5th due to an upper-body injury but will draw back into the lineup on Monday against the Boston Bruins. The 26-year-old Peeke has two points (0G / 2A) in 13 games this season.

Swayman allowed seven goals on 38 shots (.816 SV%) in his previous outing, resulting in Joonas Korpisalo starting the following game. That said, Swayman will return to the crease on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 25-year-old Swayman has struggled this season, failing to live up to the massive eight-year contract he signed before the start of the season, posting an ugly 3.35 GAA and .888 SV% in 13 games (5-6-2). The Bruins enter the action on Monday as -198 home favorites against a Blue Jackets squad that has lost seven of their previous eight games (1-6-1).

Viel is an undrafted forward with 49 games of NHL experience but none since the 2022-23 season when he played four games with the San Jose Sharks. The 27-year-old Viel has four points (2G / 2A) in 14 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL) this season.

Lindholm is expected to miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury that he suffered on Tuesday, so moving him to IR opens up a roster spot for the Bruins to recall some forward help.

Brown suited up on the fourth line on Thursday and had two shots and a minus-1 rating in 12:42 TOI. He'll be replaced by either Tyler Johnson, who was a healthy scratch on Thursday or Georgii Merkulov/Riley Tufte, who were recalled from the AHL in a corresponding move. Brown has seven points (3G / 4A) in 12 AHL games this season.

Merkulov has enjoyed a strong start to his AHL season, tying for the team lead with 11 points (2G / 9A) in 12 games. The Bruins are looking to add some offence to their lineup, so Merkulov could make his season debut. He failed to record a point in four NHL games a season ago.