The hits keep on coming for the Boston Bruins.
Just a week after the team announced that Brad Marchand was going to be ruled out until at least late November due to hip surgery, the B’s dropped another disheartening Friday news dump — announcing that both Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk are also expected to be on the shelf for at least a few months to open the new season.
The team announced in a statement that McAvoy underwent a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization procedure by Dr. Tom Holovacs at Massachusetts General Hospital earlier on Friday — with an expected recovery time of approximately six months.
Grzelcyk also underwent a procedure by Dr. Holovacs on Friday, undergoing a right shoulder open stabilization procedure that will have a five-month recovery timetable.
In addition, Mike Reilly was the third B’s blueliner to go under the knife on Friday, with the puck mover undergoing a right ankle tendon repair and removal of bone fragments by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay, Wisconsin that will have him on the mend for three months.
BSJ Analysis
Wooooof.
Things were already looking rather bleak for the B’s entering the 2022-23 season, but Boston is now set to trudge through the first few months of a new season without their top left wing, top defenseman and another top-four blueliner.
Of course, it was already common knowledge that Grzelcyk was going to be out of commission for a bit after he acknowledged in his end-of-season presser that he had to fix a dislocated shoulder.
But McAvoy’s shoulder issue was a complete surprise — and serves as a devastating blow to a B’s team already walking into an uncertain future when it comes to Patrice Bergeron and whether or not he wants to return for a 19th season.
Have to say, rolling out a starting lineup of…
Hall - ??? - Pastrnak
DeBrusk - Haula - Smith
Frederic - Coyle - Steen
Foligno - Nosek - McLaughlin
Lindholm - Carlo
Forbort - Clifton
Reilly - Zboril
… likely isn’t the most tempting pitch to get Bergeron back on the ice.
Are the Bruins now doomed for a lottery pick? Not entirely, especially if they get reinforcements back by early November. But, barring some MAJOR overhauls this summer, it sure seems like we’re in line for a few lean months in October and November.
And even if Marchand, Grzelcyk and Marchand do return in short order, the B’s could already be in a sizable hole in the Atlantic Division standings by the time they’re back at full strength.
