Thursday, March 28, 2013

Big Call-Up!

The Bruins announced last night that they would call up defenseman Torey Krug from Providence effective immediately.  With injuries to Bruins' top six d-men Johnny Boychuk (foot) and Adam McQuaid (shoulder) in the last four days, the Bruins had their choice of a few worthy candidates, and decided to call upon Krug.

Since our first report on Krug he has not disappointed.  In 55 games with the P-Bruins Krug has posted an impressive 10 goals to go along with 24 assists, good enough for sixth in the league amongst defenseman.  This is a well deserved call-up, overdue in my opinion, as Krug has continued to improve his work in the defensive zone to go along with his expected offensive production.  However,  there is no question that the Bruins have one of the strongest d-corps in the league, so it makes sense that the Bruins have decided to groom Krug in the minors until now.

In addition to the injuries, there is some speculation that the B's would have called up Krug in the near future anyhow.  With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, and the Bruins incredible defensive depth throughout the system, Krug could be a very useful pawn in a trade scheme.  Young, offensively talented d-men are a rare commodity right now, and a player such as Krug could be very enticing to many teams looking to move veteran players in order to start rebuilding for next year.  But having said all this, most teams would be skeptical to trade for a player who has hardly proved himself at the NHL level.

Therefore, this call-up is a win-win as there is no question that Krug is ready for the rigors of the NHL.  Best case he plays as well as expected and contributes down the stretch and into the playoffs, and worst case he allows the Bruins to make a trade for a much needed marquee veteran.  Keep an eye out for Krug to be in the lineup and taking a regular shift in the next few games!

References:
hockeydb.com
bruins.nhl.com
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/injuries
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/03/27/bruins-live-blog-fireworks-expected-for-canadiens-final-trip-to-boston/

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