Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now is taking a closer look at the blue line situation in Boston. Among the things he’s discovered is that the Bruins might be looking at surprising short-term solution to fill holes while some of the young prospects work their way into the NHL.
Haggerty cites a couple of sources suggesting the Bruins organization could be considering former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner for their blue line. He notes that while the veteran isn’t exactly an offensive dynamo and his history in Montreal isn’t one to write home about, if the weight of the contract he had with the Habs is gone, in the right situation, he could be a useful piece of the Bruins puzzle in 2020-21.
Haggerty cites details that the Bruins have looked at a lot of options for the defense corps this offseason. Among them, he discussed the fact Boston kicked tires on Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While that deal fell through, the team has looked at other options as well. Alzner might be the cheapest and easiest to complete.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Alzner was a top-four defenseman at the NHL level, even as recently as the 2017-18 season when he played all 82 games with the Canadiens. He might not be a regular now, but as a seventh defenseman, he could give youngsters like Uhro Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril space as they slowly work their way into the NHL.
Bruins Have a Hole on Their Blue Line
The Bruins lost Torey Krug in the offseason and there are questions about whether or not Zdeno Chara will be back with the team. That’s a big chunk of the blue line gone if neither are back.
Alzner could act as a cheap insurance option and the need for a veteran left-shot defenseman becomes obvious if Chara ends up signing elsewhere.
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